What’s the best way to learn GRE vocabulary without mugging them up?

Trying to force-feed 1000+ words rarely works. Real improvement in GRE vocab comes when the focus shifts from memorizing words to understanding them in context.

• One opinion article a day—from sources like The Economist or NYT—is enough. When a tough word shows up, pause, guess the meaning based on context, then verify it.
• Build a personal vocab deck using only the words encountered during reading or GRE practice. Skip pre-made lists.
• For each word, write a simple sentence based on a real-life situation—not academic examples. This makes recall easier.
• Keep a “word journal” and group words by theme—like all the ones related to praise, criticism, or doubt.
• In the final week before the test, avoid learning new words. Instead, focus on revisiting and reinforcing the ones already seen in context.

Learning vocab through exposure and usage makes it stick far better than rote memorization ever does.
 
 For more details you can read this blog on "GRE Test Verbal Reasoning"