GRE top basic words

Like to argue: CONTENTIOUS/kənˈtent.ʃəs/
And AUSPICIOUS/ɔːˈspɪʃ.əs/ : favorable

contentious
 a contentious issue

There's a lot of contention about that issue .
The matter has been settled - it's no longer in contention.

He won his first match of the season 3-1, which was an auspicious start.
Our first meeting was not very auspicious - we had a huge argument.

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Not hopeful, unpleasant: BLEAK/bliːk/
ERRATIC: unpredictable 

 

bleak

a bleak winter's day
The economic outlook is bleak.
He drove in an erratic course down the road.
She can be very erratic, one day she is friendly and the next she'll hardly speak to you.

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CANDID /ˈkæn.dɪd/: is frank, honest
INNOCUOUS /ɪˈnɒk.ju.əs/ is harmless. That's all!

The Ministers have had candid talks about the current crisis.
To be candid, I think you're making a terrible mistake.

Some mushrooms look innocuous, but are in fact poisonous.

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CONFOUND /kənˈfaʊnd/: surprise and confuse
PROFUSE /prəˈfjuːs/: produced in large amounts.

confound

The singer confounded her critics with another remarkable follow-up album.

He was admitted to the Hospital with profuse bleeding.
The company accepted blame and sent us profuse apologies.