Battle guide to GRE Antonyms

Vocabulary. Noun. The bane of a student’s existence when it comes to standardized testing. While one would think that learning the definition of a word is enough, the antonym section of the GRE makes sure that a student can accurately define what a word means and also what a word doesn’t mean. There are a few ways to study for this portion of the exam: visual, audio, kinesthetic, or a combination of either of the three types. By the time most students take the GRE they have pinpointed their best method of study. For less well-rounded students though, or students who are more suited for mathematical and analytical reasoning studying English can be like studying a foreign language. In these cases it is always a good idea to figure out how information would be absorbed most efficiently. For any type of learner it is recommended that he or she obtains a GRE practice exam guide and thesaurus, which are available at any local library or bookstores nationwide.

Using the words listed in the study portion and practice exams of the guide, the visual learner can make flash cards that list the word and several–not just one–of its antonyms. For example, repudiate means to reject OR disapprove of something, thus its antonyms are accept OR approve. By using more than one antonym understanding of a word’s more subtle meanings increases. Audio learners may have someone study with them, or record themselves saying the word they want to learn with a few antonyms. Also, creating a pneumonic device for the word may help for this type of learner. Kinesthetic learners could also benefit from making flash cards, helping them learn and memorize equations in this matter, and then working out a problem written on the answer side pertaining to the equation.

In all cases, learning the etymology, or language origin of a word is very helpful because the roots of a word may carry over into its antonyms. A word with a Greek root often has an antonym with a Greek root, which may help eliminate answers during the exam. Figuring out how to study most efficiently for this test is half the battle. The other half is giving oneself enough time to study efficiently. Review for this test should start weeks if not months in advance, and similar to the ACT and SAT, should be taken more than once if at all possible. The more it is taken, the more familiar–or less foreign or strange it becomes.