Vocabulary Prep: ROOTS
A Root is Worth a Thousand Words
Etymologically speaking, roots are the building blocks of words. The ability to recognize a root accurately
will give you a huge leg up even if you can’t fully define a word.
Following is an important list of roots.
ROOT
acerb
ag, act
agon
alt
amic
anim, anima
arch
aug, auct
autrui
ban
bel, bell
bene
brev
cad, cas
cand
cap, cip, cep
ced, cess
cens
chron
ciarl
cit, citat
clam, claim
clement
concili
copi
cor, cord
corp
corrig
cred
crit
cur
curr, curs
cycl
deleter
derm
didact
dol
don
dyn
enigm
equ
MEANING
bitter
drive, urge, act
contest, struggle
high
friend
1. life 2. mind, soul, spirit
rule, govern
increase
other people
to command
1. fair, fine 2. war
well
short
fall
glow, burn
to take
go, yield
give opinion, appraise
time
prattle, babble
arouse, summon, call out
call out
lenient, mild
bring together
abundance
heart
body
to correct
believe, make trust
a judge
care, attention
run
circle, wheel
destroyer
skin
to teach
grieve, worry
gift, give
power
riddle
1. equal 2. horse
erro, erron
exter, extra
fac, fact, fec
fall, fals
fam
fastidi
ferv
firm
flagr
flex, flect
fund, fus
garr
gen, gener
geo
ger
graph, gram
grav
greg
gyro
helio
hemera
hibit
host, hosp
humil
hydr
inan
it, itiner
judic
jur
labor
langu
leg, legis
leth
lev
line
listen
liter
log
loqu, locut
luc
lud, lus
luna
magn
mal
malle
man
mar, mer
mater, matr
metr, meter
metus
minn, minut
miser
mitt, miss
wanderer
beyond, outside
make, form, act, do
err, beguile, deceive
1. hunger 2. report
loathing
boil
steadfast, firm, strong
burn
bend
pour, melt
chatter
origin, race, species
earth
bear, carry, rule
to write
heavy
flock, herd
turn
sun
day
have, hold
host, guest
humble
water
void, empty
to go, journey
judge
1. swear 2. law, right
to work
be weak
1. appoint, send 2. law
oblivion
1. light 2. lift, raise, rise
line
desire
letter
speech, word, reason
speak, talk
1. shine 2. light
sport, play, laugh, mock
moon
great
bad, ill
hammer
hand
sea
maternal
measure
fear
diminish, lessen
miserable
to send, let go
mor, mos
mord, mors
morph
mut
nat
nav, naus
noc
nounce
nov
omin
oper
ox
pac
pais
par
pars, part, partit
part
pat, pass
path
pauc
ped
pell, puls
pet, petit
phan
phem
phone
pi
plac
plaud, plaus
ple, plet
plic
potent
povre
prehend, prehens
prob, prov
prodigi
prol
pud
put
quiesc
quir, quer
rat
rect
rept
riv
rog, rogat
rupt
sanct
scind
scrib, script
scrut
sent, sens
sequi
will
bite
form, shape
change
1. born 2. swim
ship
hurt, harm
bring tidings, tell
new
omen
to work
poison
peace
peace
1. equal 2. get ready, set
divide, share, separate, part
father
suffer, feel, endure
feel, suffer
little
1. boy, child 2. foot
1. drive, urge 2.skin, fur
to seek
to show
speech
voice, sound
1. appease 2. devout
please
clap hands
fill
fold, bend, embrace
powerful
poor
take, seize, grasp
test
token, omen
offspring, increase
feel shame, blush
1. think 2. cleanse, lop off
rest, become quiet
to ask, seek
think, calculate, settle
ruled, right, straight
creep
stream
ask, demand
to break
holy
to cut
write
search into carefully
perceive, feel, think
to follow
serv
solemn
solv, solut
son
spec, spect
spond, spons
stat
stru, struct
suav
sume, sump
surrect, surreg
syc
tac
tedi
ten, tend, tent
termin
the
trepid
tric
trit
trud, trus
turb
un
ven, vent
ver
verb
vert, vers
vi
vir
viv
voc
vol
serve, keep
religious
loosen
sound
look, see, appear
promise, answer
stand, standing
to build
sweet
take, use, waste
rise
fig
be silent
irksomeness, irritating
hold, stretch, strain
boundary, end
1. a god 2. place, put
trembling, agitated
hindrances, wiles, snares
rub
thrust
disturb, drive
one
to come
1. spring 2. true, truth
word
turn
way, road
1. man 2. poison
life, to live
1. voice 2. call
1. wish, will 2. fly