Apocryphal
hardNegative toneuh-POK-ruh-ful
adjective
Definition
Of doubtful authenticity; widely circulated but probably untrue
Memory hook
A-POCKET-full of lies — apocryphal stories are of doubtful authenticity, probably made up.
Word roots
Learning roots unlocks whole word families. Study common GRE root words.
Examples
“The apocryphal story about the president has been debunked many times.”
“Many apocryphal tales surround the founding of the city.”
Test yourself
Fill in the blank with the right word:
“The ______ story about the president has been debunked many times.”
Show answer
apocryphal
Synonyms
Antonyms
Categories
GRE Tip
Apocryphal is a hard-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "spurious" or "dubious" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "authenticated".
Related GRE Words
erroneous
Wrong; incorrect; based on error
bona fide
Genuine; real; made in good faith without fraud or deceit
genuine
Truly what something is said to be; authentic; sincere
specious
Superficially plausible but actually wrong; misleading
tenuous
Very weak or slight; insubstantial
bogus
Not genuine or true; fake
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