GRE vocabulary: quantity, degree and scale.

Exist in great numbers; be plentiful

Theories abound about the cause of the mass extinction, but few are supported by fossil evidence.

Existing in large quantities; plentiful

Archaeological sites in the region are abundant, suggesting a thriving civilization once inhabited the valley.

An area of land, typically measured in acres

The disputed acreage along the border became the flashpoint for a decades-long territorial conflict.

To increase the power, status, or wealth of; to make appear greater

The dictator sought to aggrandize himself through elaborate public monuments.

Including or covering everything or everyone; comprehensive to the highest degree

The historian's all-encompassing study of the Roman Empire spans politics, economics, religion, and daily life.

To make a problem or suffering less severe; to relieve

International aid organizations rushed supplies to the region in an effort to alleviate the famine's worst effects.

Without a clearly defined shape or form; vague and unorganized

The committee's goals remained amorphous, lacking any concrete plan of action.

Involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring

The arduous trek through the mountain pass tested even the most experienced members of the expedition.

Surprisingly impressive or notable; shocking

The telescope revealed an astounding number of previously unknown galaxies in a single patch of sky.

The act of achieving or reaching a goal or level

Her attainment of fluency in four languages by age twenty opened doors in the diplomatic corps.

The process of reducing the force, effect, or value of something; weakening

The attenuation of the radio signal at greater distances limited the probe's ability to transmit data back to Earth.

Made greater in size, extent, or quality; supplemented

The orchestra's sound was augmented by a chorus of sixty voices for the finale of the symphony.

To support, strengthen, or reinforce

The senator cited three new studies to bolster her argument for increased funding in early childhood education.

Supported or strengthened; propped up

The discovery of additional fossils bolstered the hypothesis that the species had migrated across the land bridge.

To strengthen or support (an argument, idea, or structure)

New archaeological findings buttress the theory that trade routes connected the two ancient civilizations.

Projecting supports built against a wall to reinforce or brace it

The cathedral's massive stone buttresses transfer the weight of the vaulted ceiling outward to the ground.

Restricted in scope or range; limited; bounded

The monarch's authority was circumscribed by a constitution that granted considerable power to the parliament.

Corresponding in size or degree; in proportion

The salary offered was not commensurate with the level of experience required for the position.

Similar in size, degree, or nature; able to be compared

No comparable study has been conducted on this scale, making the findings difficult to validate independently.

Combining in such a way as to enhance or improve each other; completing

The two researchers brought complementary skills to the project—one excelled in theory, the other in laboratory technique.

Added to in a way that enhances or improves

The historian's archival research was complemented by extensive fieldwork at the archaeological site.

A constituent part; one of the individual parts that make up a larger whole

Trust is a critical component of any successful negotiation between parties with a history of conflict.

Following as a result or effect; important, significant

The ruling was the most consequential Supreme Court decision on privacy rights in over a decade.

Severely restricted the scope, extent, or activity of; compelled or forced

Limited funding constrained the researchers to a much smaller sample size than they had originally planned.

Abundant in supply or quantity; plentiful

The biographer drew on copious correspondence between the two writers to reconstruct their intellectual friendship.

Reduced in extent or quantity; cut short

Civil liberties were curtailed during the wartime emergency, a decision that historians continue to debate.

A scarcity or lack of something

The dearth of qualified applicants forced the university to extend its hiring deadline.

Settling an issue; producing a definite result; conclusive

The battle proved decisive, ending a conflict that had dragged on for nearly a decade.

Tending to cause harm; damaging

Chronic sleep deprivation has been shown to be detrimental to both cognitive function and cardiovascular health.

Highly destructive; causing severe shock, distress, or damage

The hurricane's devastating impact on the coastal communities took years and billions of dollars to repair.

Essentially different in kind; markedly distinct

The study attempted to synthesize findings from disparate fields, including neuroscience, linguistics, and anthropology.

Outstandingly bad; shocking; remarkably terrible

The report highlighted the most egregious violations of environmental regulations.

Famous and respected within a particular sphere or profession; outstanding

The conference attracted eminent scholars from universities around the world.

To make a problem, situation, or feeling worse

Cutting the budget for flood defenses would only exacerbate the damage caused by increasingly severe storms.

Made a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling worse; aggravated

The housing crisis was exacerbated by speculative investment that drove prices far beyond what local families could afford.

Making great demands on one's skill, attention, or resources; rigorously precise

Restoring a Renaissance fresco is an exacting process that demands years of specialized training.

A statement that represents something as better or worse than it really is

To say the discovery revolutionized the field would be an exaggeration, but it certainly opened promising new avenues.

To a very great degree; extremely

The enzyme is exceedingly sensitive to temperature changes, losing its catalytic function above forty degrees.

Pressing; demanding immediate attention or action

The exigent circumstances of the flood required an immediate evacuation order.

At an increasingly rapid rate; by a very large amount

Data storage costs have decreased exponentially over the past three decades, transforming entire industries.

Irrelevant or unrelated to the subject being dealt with; not essential

The editor stripped the manuscript of extraneous detail, leaving only the passages that advanced the central argument.

Excessive or unnecessary spending; lack of restraint in expenditure

The palace's extravagance stood in stark contrast to the poverty visible in the streets surrounding it.

Producing or capable of producing an abundance; highly fertile; intellectually productive

The fecund imagination of the novelist produced over thirty books in as many years.

The quality of being economical with money or food; careful management of resources

Her frugality during the lean years enabled the family to weather economic downturns that ruined their neighbors.

Giving cause for alarm; serious; weighty

The inspector issued a grave warning about the bridge's structural integrity, recommending its immediate closure.

In accordance with the highest standards of propriety; faultless

Her impeccable credentials made her the obvious choice for the position.

In a way that is so slight, gradual, or subtle as to be impossible to perceive

The glacier moves imperceptibly, advancing only a few inches each day, yet its cumulative force reshapes entire valleys.

Lacking the quality or quantity required; insufficient; not good enough

The city's inadequate sewage system could not handle the volume of water produced by the unprecedented rainfall.

Accompanying but not a major part of; occurring by chance in connection with something else

The composer's incidental music for the play became more famous than the drama it was written to accompany.

Not important or significant; trivial

What seemed like an inconsequential decision at the time—choosing one route over another—altered the course of the expedition.

Exaggeration; the act of expanding something beyond reasonable or accurate limits

The politician's inflation of the threat level was designed to justify increased military spending.

Not harmful or offensive; harmless

The seemingly innocuous email attachment contained malware that compromised the entire network.

To an unusually or disproportionately large degree; excessively

The project consumed an inordinately large share of the department's budget, leaving other initiatives underfunded.

The act of making something stronger or more extreme

The intensification of the conflict along the border prompted the United Nations to deploy additional peacekeepers.

Belonging naturally; essential; inherent

The gemstone's intrinsic value lies not in its size but in the rarity of its deep blue color.

To overwhelm someone with things to be dealt with; to flood

After the announcement, the office was inundated with phone calls from concerned citizens.

To increase the apparent size or importance of

The media's tendency to magnify minor disagreements into full-blown crises distorts the public's understanding of politics.

Made less severe, serious, or painful; lessened

The flood damage was mitigated by the levee system, though some low-lying areas were still inundated.

A small quantity of a particular thing, especially something desirable

Even a modicum of preparation would have prevented the embarrassing errors in the public presentation.

So small or unimportant as to be not worth considering; insignificant

The difference in cost between the two options was negligible, so the committee chose the more sustainable one.

Involving an amount of effort and difficulty that is oppressively burdensome

The onerous regulatory requirements discouraged small businesses from entering the market.

To state or represent something more strongly or emphatically than is warranted

It would be difficult to overstate the impact the printing press had on the spread of knowledge in Europe.

Extremely poor; poverty-stricken; unwilling to spend money; miserly

The penurious conditions in the mining town drove many families to seek better opportunities elsewhere.

Of secondary or minor importance; marginal; on the edge

The study focused on the central nervous system, treating the peripheral nervous system as outside its scope.

An excess of something; a large or excessive amount

The researcher was overwhelmed by the plethora of data generated by the new instrument.

Beyond what is normal or natural; extraordinary; surpassing the ordinary

The violinist's preternatural ability to sight-read the most complex scores left audiences and fellow musicians in awe.

The state of being first in rank, importance, or authority

The debate over the primacy of nature versus nurture in shaping human behavior continues to animate the social sciences.

Remarkably great in extent, size, or degree; impressively large

The prodigious output of the Victorian novelists remains unmatched in literary history.

Very great or intense; having or showing great knowledge or insight; going to a great depth

The discovery had a profound impact on the field, overturning assumptions that had stood for more than a century.

Producing a great quantity of something, especially creative work

The prolific author published over forty novels in a career spanning five decades.

The state of being important or famous; the quality of projecting or standing out

The theory rose to prominence in the 1980s and has remained the dominant framework in the field ever since.

The relative size or share of a part compared to the whole

A disproportionately large proportion of the budget was allocated to defense, leaving education and healthcare underfunded.

Distant from the lives of ordinary people; exclusive

The rarefied world of haute couture seemed utterly disconnected from everyday fashion.

Filled or well-supplied with something; abundantly provided

The museum's archives were replete with unpublished letters from the Civil War era.

Made necessary by particular circumstances or regulations; required

The applicant possessed all the requisite qualifications but lacked the industry connections that might have secured the position.

Widespread; filled with; abundant (especially of something undesirable)

The industry was rife with corruption, a fact that successive investigations had documented but failed to remedy.

Strong and healthy; vigorous; able to withstand adverse conditions

The economy showed robust growth in the third quarter, exceeding even the most optimistic forecasts.

Disastrous or destructive; bringing ruin

The ruinous cost of the prolonged war drained the treasury and left the nation's infrastructure in disrepair.

Barely sufficient or adequate; meager

Scant evidence supports the popular belief that reading in dim light permanently damages eyesight.

Insufficient in quantity; in short supply

Clean drinking water is scarce in the region, forcing residents to walk miles to the nearest safe source.

To reinforce, strengthen, or support something that is weakening

The central bank intervened to shore up the currency after it lost fifteen percent of its value in a single week.

Tending to induce drowsiness or sleep; tediously boring

The soporific lecture on tax code amendments put half the audience to sleep.

The quality of being thinly scattered, meager, or scanty

The sparseness of the archaeological record in the region makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions about early settlement patterns.

Unnecessary; more than what is needed or wanted

The editor cut two entire chapters as superfluous, arguing that they repeated arguments made more effectively elsewhere.

An excessive amount of something; to cause someone to desire no more of something

A surfeit of options paradoxically made the decision more difficult rather than easier.

Very weak or slight; insubstantial; thin and fragile

The connection between the two events is tenuous at best, resting on coincidence rather than demonstrated causation.

Causing difficulty or disagreement; problematic; hard to deal with

Immigration policy remains one of the thorniest issues in contemporary politics, defying easy solutions.

Complete in every respect; absolute; thorough

The audit revealed the need for a thoroughgoing overhaul of the agency's record-keeping practices.

Unimportant or trivial; of little value or significance

The fine imposed was so trifling that it did nothing to deter the corporation from repeating the violation.

Of little value or importance; commonplace

What may appear trivial to an outsider—a single misplaced comma—can entirely change the meaning of a legal contract.

To describe or represent something as being smaller, worse, or less important than it really is

To understate the difficulty of the expedition would be a disservice to the courage of those who undertook it.

Not profitable or efficient; wasteful of money or other resources

The factory's uneconomical use of raw materials was not only wasteful but also environmentally damaging.

Difficult to manage or handle because of size, shape, or complexity

The bureaucratic process for approving new medications had become so unwieldy that promising treatments were delayed by years.

The time at which something is most powerful or successful; the highest point

The empire reached its zenith in the sixteenth century before beginning its long decline.