35 GRE Confusable Word Pairs
Some of the hardest points to score on the GRE come from word pairs that look almost identical but mean very different things. The test loves these traps, especially in Sentence Equivalence, where you must pick two words that create the same meaning. Choose the near-twin instead of the true fit and you lose the point. Below are the pairs that trip up test-takers most. Each one has a clear difference and a memory trick so you can tell them apart under time pressure.
adverse vs averse
adverse means unfavorable/harmful; averse means opposed/reluctant.
affect vs effect
affect means to influence (verb); effect means a result (noun).
allusion vs illusion
allusion means an indirect reference; illusion means a false impression.
ambiguous vs ambivalent
ambiguous means open to multiple meanings; ambivalent means having mixed feelings.
ascent vs assent
ascent means a climb/rise; assent means agreement/approval.
baleful vs baneful
baleful means menacing/threatening (a look); baneful means harmful/destructive.
censure vs censor
censure means to formally blame/criticize; censor means to suppress/ban content.
climactic vs climatic
climactic means of a climax/peak; climatic means of the climate/weather.
complacent vs complaisant
complacent means smug/self-satisfied; complaisant means eager to please.
continual vs continuous
continual means repeated with breaks; continuous means uninterrupted.
credible vs credulous
credible means believable; credulous means gullible/too trusting.
defuse vs diffuse
defuse means to calm/de-escalate; diffuse means to spread out.
deprecate vs depreciate
deprecate means to belittle/disapprove; depreciate means to lose value.
disburse vs disperse
disburse means to pay out money; disperse means to scatter.
discreet vs discrete
discreet means tactful/careful; discrete means separate/distinct.
elicit vs illicit
elicit means to draw out (verb); illicit means illegal/forbidden (adj).
elusive vs allusive
elusive means hard to catch/pin down; allusive means full of references.
eminent vs imminent
eminent means famous/distinguished; imminent means about to happen.
enervate vs energize
enervate means to weaken/drain; energize means to invigorate.
flout vs flaunt
flout means to defy/disregard; flaunt means to show off.
ingenuous vs ingenious
ingenuous means naive/innocent; ingenious means clever/inventive.
loath vs loathe
loath means reluctant (adjective); loathe means to hate (verb).
luxuriant vs luxurious
luxuriant means lush/abundant (growth); luxurious means opulent/comfortable.
meretricious vs meritorious
meretricious means gaudy/showy/insincere; meritorious means deserving praise.
militate vs mitigate
militate means to work/act against; mitigate means to make less severe.
notable vs notorious
notable means famous (good/neutral); notorious means famous for bad reasons.
obtuse vs abstruse
obtuse means slow-witted/dull; abstruse means hard to understand.
perspicacious vs perspicuous
perspicacious means perceptive/shrewd (a person); perspicuous means clearly expressed (writing).
precede vs proceed
precede means to come before; proceed means to go forward/continue.
prescribe vs proscribe
prescribe means to recommend/order; proscribe means to forbid/ban.
sensual vs sensuous
sensual means bodily/physical; sensuous means aesthetically pleasing to the senses.
tenet vs tenant
tenet means a principle/belief; tenant means one who rents.
tortuous vs torturous
tortuous means twisting/winding; torturous means causing agony.
turbid vs turgid
turbid means muddy/cloudy; turgid means swollen or pompous.
venal vs venial
venal means corruptible/bribable; venial means a minor/forgivable sin.
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