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GRE Word of the Day 2026

Learn a new GRE vocabulary word every day to build your verbal skills

Jan 14 - Today's Word

Deleterious

adjective

causing harm or damage

"Smoking has deleterious effects on health."

Synonyms:

harmfuldamagingdetrimental

About Word of the Day

Master GRE vocabulary one word at a time with our daily word feature. Each day features a carefully selected word commonly found on the GRE, complete with:

  • Clear, concise definitions
  • Real-world example sentences
  • Synonyms to expand your vocabulary
  • Etymology to understand word origins
  • Part of speech for proper usage

Browse the calendar below to explore all 365 words for 2026, or bookmark this page to return daily for your vocabulary boost!

2026 Word Calendar

Jan 1

Ephemeral

adjective

lasting for a very short time

Jan 2

Obfuscate

verb

to make something unclear or difficult to understand

Jan 3

Perspicacious

adjective

having a ready insight into things

Jan 4

Recalcitrant

adjective

stubbornly resistant to authority or control

Jan 5

Sycophant

noun

a person who acts obsequiously toward someone to gain advantage

Jan 6

Taciturn

adjective

reserved or uncommunicative in speech

Jan 7

Ubiquitous

adjective

present, appearing, or found everywhere

Jan 8

Veracious

adjective

speaking or representing the truth

Jan 9

Wanton

adjective

deliberate and unprovoked

Jan 10

Zealous

adjective

having or showing great energy or enthusiasm

Jan 11

Abstruse

adjective

difficult to understand

Jan 12

Bellicose

adjective

demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight

Jan 13

Cacophony

noun

a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds

Jan 14

Deleterious

adjective

causing harm or damage

Jan 15

Ebullient

adjective

cheerful and full of energy

Jan 16

Facetious

adjective

treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor

Jan 17

Garrulous

adjective

excessively talkative

Jan 18

Hackneyed

adjective

lacking significance through overuse

Jan 19

Iconoclast

noun

a person who attacks cherished beliefs

Jan 20

Juxtapose

verb

to place or deal with close together for contrasting effect

Jan 21

Loquacious

adjective

tending to talk a great deal

Jan 22

Magnanimous

adjective

generous or forgiving

Jan 23

Nefarious

adjective

wicked or criminal

Jan 24

Ostentatious

adjective

characterized by vulgar or pretentious display

Jan 25

Pernicious

adjective

having a harmful effect in a gradual or subtle way

Jan 26

Quixotic

adjective

exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic

Jan 27

Recondite

adjective

little known; abstruse

Jan 28

Sagacious

adjective

having good judgment

Jan 29

Tenacious

adjective

tending to keep a firm hold

Jan 30

Unctuous

adjective

excessively flattering

Jan 31

Vociferous

adjective

expressing opinions in a loud and forceful manner

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