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Welter

hardNegative tone

WEL-ter

noun

Definition

a confused, turbulent mass or jumble

Memory hook

WELTER sounds like 'swelter' in a chaotic 'melter'β€”imagine a heap of objects rolling and tumbling in a sweaty, churning pile of confusion.

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Word roots

welterenβ€” to roll, tumble(Middle Dutch)

Learning roots unlocks whole word families. Study common GRE root words.

Examples

β€œShe was lost in a welter of conflicting emotions when the news finally arrived.”
β€œThe report drowned its few useful insights in a welter of statistics and footnotes.”

Test yourself

Fill in the blank with the right word:

β€œShe was lost in a ______ of conflicting emotions when the news finally arrived.”
Show answer

welter

Synonyms

jumbletumultturmoilconfusion

Antonyms

orderarrangementtidinesscalm

Categories

View all Disorder words

GRE Tip

Welter is a hard-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "jumble" or "tumult" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "order".

Read: How to Memorize GRE Words That Actually Stick

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