“You Keep Using That Word. I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means.”
Maybe by now, you all know that I hate vocab. It’s not my thing. It doesn’t come naturally to me at all. I have to make the flashcards, do the practice quizzes, and fight my way through it. One thing that really works for me is coming up with my own short, general description of a word. If I try to have just some idea of what it means, that’s probably what I’ll need for the test.
But sometimes, the reason a word is on the GRE is that we often us it wrong. Sometimes it’s just a common misunderstanding that’s caught on. Other times, it’s a word we’ve pretty much stopped using except in one context, where either one of the two meanings would make sense.
Want a couple examples?
- Peruse. Peruse doesn’t mean “to browse or glance something over”. It means “to read or examine carefully.” If you start using it that way in conversation, everyone will think you’re an idiot. But you should know it come GRE test day.
- Abscond. We usually only use this word in sentences like, “He absconded with the diamonds.” A lot of us think it means stealing, but it doesn’t. It means to sneak away, especially to avoid getting in trouble.
- Refute. We’re used to this word, and know that when you “refute” someone’s argument, you shut it down. But not just by disagreeing, as is commonly thought. “Refute” means to completely disprove something.
- Condone. We usually use this word in expressions like, “the school does not condone this behavior.” Well, the school might not approve of the behavior, but that’s not what “condone” means – it means “overlook” or “disregard”. If I condone what you’re doing, I don’t necessarily approve of it – I’m just not going to stop you.
- Consent. This one’s kind of like condone. If I consent to your argument, that doesn’t necessarily mean I like it. It just means I agree, even in a passive way or with a negative attitude.
- Aggravate. If you’re in a great mood, nothing can aggravate you. That’s because “aggravate” doesn’t mean “annoy”; it means “make something bad even worse.” So if you already have a wound, pouring salt on there can aggravate it, but my throwing salt in your face does not aggravate you.
- Travesty. “Travesty” sounds like “tragedy”, but like a lot of words on the GRE, it doesn’t mean what it sounds like, despite the fact that this word is misused more frequently than it’s correctly used. A travesty is a satire or a parody.
- Enormity. Yes, it sounds like “enormous.” No, it doesn’t mean “enormousness.” When someone wants you to understand “the enormity of the situation”, they don’t want you to know how big it is; they want you to know how bad it is. “Enormity” means something evil or immoral.
- Chronic. Most of us don’t want to have chronic pain, because that sounds bad. And it is. But that’s not because something “chronic” is severe or bad or strong. That’s because it goes on for or takes place over a long period of time. You can indeed have chronic happiness, and you might if you get a great score on the GRE.
- Redundant. If you study a word 100 times, is that redundant? Maybe. If you already know the word, sure. But if you’re still learning it, nope. Because “redundant” doesn’t mean “repetitive”; it means “excessive” or “unnecessary”. So reminding a child each day to brush his teeth isn’t redundant if the child would otherwise forget.
While we’re at it, “terrific” means scary (think “terror”), “refute” means “disprove” (not “argue against”), and while you may find it inconceivable (sorry, I couldn’t resist), “ultimate” means last (not best).
When you hit a word that you already “know”, but your definition is a little off, make sure you acknowledge the difference. It won’t stick with you unless you practice it. Those words, the ones that we think we know, are dangerous! But get them down, and even the six-fingered man won’t be able to keep you from your best score.