A Word a Day Keeps the Death Eaters Away

Let's dive straight in:


Answer:

Lots of adjectives thrown about here. Do we need to know what all these words mean? Well, not for this questions, but all these are a must-have in your vocabulary armory.

ebullient
Part of Speech: Adjective

Definition(s):
1.overflowing with fervor, enthusiasm, or excitement; high-spirited
2.bubbling up like a boiling liquid.

Usage:The award winner was in an ebullient mood at the dinner in her honor

Synonyms: excited, boiling, agitated, buoyant, effervescent, vivacious, sprightly

Source: dictionary.com


to be continued...

Good question! First, there never was any official word list; just those released by test prep firms. Barron's Word List was the most popular (probably because it was the most comprehensive), but many of the people who've gone through the entire list have told me that, in the end, it wasn't worth it because only a couple of words from the entire list were tested on the exam. The reason why people had to memorize so many words was because of the Analogies and Antonyms questions. These question types are no longer there in the new GRE because the GRE is taking an effort to make the test more relevant to all programs, and bschools in particular. Who cares if you know what the antonyms and synonyms of exotic words are. All that matters is if you know most of the common place words, and the context in which they are used. In light of this, Barron's has completely removed the word list from their latest edition. Remember, the word list was Barron's USP for their GRE book. The fact that they have removed it completely should highlight the extent of the change in the GRE wrt vocabulary.
However, if you still need to brush up on your vocabulary, as is the case with me, then the classic vocabulary building books are a must read. My personal favourite is Word Power Made Easy, by Norman Lewis.

I have taken GRE (Q 800, V 760) this year, and I think nothing from Barron's was there in the test

Ouch, not a single word! That would have been frustrating. Congratulations on the brilliant score!

Garrulous (adj)

Other forms:

• garrulously (adverb)
• garrulousness (noun)

Definition:

• annoyingly/ excessively talktative; babbling;
• wordy; verbose

Usage:

• Jane is usually quiet, but she became garrulous after a couple of beers.
• When answering questions in your MBA interview, don't be garrulous; always be concise, and to the point.

Synonyms:

• loquacious,
• circumlocutory,
• verbose,
• babbling

Antonyms:

• reserved,
• taciturn,
• laconic,
• pithy,
• terse

Etymology: Latin garrulus, from garrire to chatter

Solicitous (adj)

Other forms:

• solicitously (adverb)
• solicitousness (noun)

Definition:

• careful/ particular
• concerned
• eager

Usage:

• The HBS R2 results have just been announced; Simon is solicitous to find out whether he got admitted.
• You have to be solicitous when taking the GMAT, because a single mistake could rob you of your target score.
• Simon opened his inbox, but could not find any email from Harvard; he became solicitous

Synonyms:

• anxious,
• agog,
• zealous

Antonyms:

• apathetic,
• heedless,
• casual,
• disinterested

Etymology: Latin sollicitus, meaning anxious

Munificent (adj)

Other forms:

• munificently (adverb)
• munificence (noun)

Definition:

• very liberal/ generous

Usage:

• After a munificent donation from J.B. Fuqua, Duke University named its business school after him
• Simon is a munificent host; he always takes his guests out to the most expensive restaurants

Synonyms:

• lavish
• handsome
• openhanded
• bounteous

Antonyms:

• parsimonious
• costive
• niggardly
• sparse

Etymology: Latin munificus, meaning generous