E

Question 1

ebullient

(adj.)

Answer 1

extremely lively, enthusiastic

(She became ebullient upon receiving an acceptance letter from her first-choice college.)

Question 2

eclectic

(adj.)

Answer 2

consisting of a diverse variety of elements

(That bar attracts an eclectic crowd: lawyers, artists, circus clowns, and investment bankers.)

Question 3

ecstatic

(adj.)

Answer 3

intensely and overpowering happy

(The couple was ecstatic when they learned that they had won the lottery.)

Question 4

edict

(n.)

Answer 4

an order, decree

(The ruler issued an edict requiring all of his subjects to bow down before him.)

Question 5

efface

(v.)

Answer 5

to wipe out, obliterate, rub away

(The husband was so angry at his wife for leaving him that he effaced all evidence of her presence; he threw out pictures of her and gave away all her belongings.)

Question 6

effervescent

(adj.)

Answer 6

bubbly, lively

(My friend is so effervescent that she makes everyone smile.)

Question 7

efficacious

(adj.)

Answer 7

effective

(My doctor promised me that the cold medicine was efficacious, but I’m still sniffling.)

Question 8

effrontery

(n.)

Answer 8

impudence, nerve, insolence

(When I told my aunt that she was boring, my mother scolded me for my effrontery.)

Question 9

effulgent

(adj.)

Answer 9

radiant, splendorous

(The golden palace was effulgent.)

Question 10

egregious

(adj.)

Answer 10

extremely bad

(The student who threw sloppy joes across the cafeteria was punished for his egregious behavior.)

Question 11

elaborate

(adj.)

Answer 11

complex, detailed, intricate

(Dan always beats me at chess because he develops such an elaborate game plan that I can never predict his next move.)

Question 12

elated

(adj.)

Answer 12

overjoyed, thrilled

(When she found out she had won the lottery, the writer was elated.)

Question 13

elegy

(n.)

Answer 13

a speech given in honor of a dead person

(At the funeral, the widow gave a moving elegy describing her love for her husband.)

Question 14

elicit

(v.)

Answer 14

to bring forth, draw out, evoke

(Although I asked several times where the exit was, I elicited no response from the stone-faced policeman.)

Question 15

eloquent

(adj.)

Answer 15

expressive, articulate, moving

(The priest gave such an eloquent sermon that most churchgoers were crying.)

Question 16

elucidate

(v.)

Answer 16

to clarify, explain

(I didn’t understand why my friend was so angry with me, so I asked Janine to elucidate her feelings.)

Question 17

elude

(v.)

Answer 17

to evade, escape

(Despite an intense search, the robber continues to elude the police.)

Question 18

emaciated

(adj.)

Answer 18

very thin, enfeebled looking

(My sister eats a lot of pastries and chocolate but still looks emaciated.)

Question 19

embellish

(v.)

Answer 19

1. to decorate, adorn
2. to add details to, enhance

1. (My mom embellished the living room by adding lace curtains.)
2. (When Harry told me that he had “done stuff” on his vacation, I asked him to embellish upon his account.)

Question 20

embezzle

(v.)

Answer 20

to steal money by falsifying records

(The accountant was fired for embezzling $10,000 of the company’s funds.)

Question 21

emend

(v.)

Answer 21

to correct or revise a written text

(If my sentence is incorrect, the editor will emend what I have written.)

Question 22

eminent

(adj.)

Answer 22

1. distinguished, prominent, famous
2. conspicuous

1. (Mr. Phillips is such an eminent scholar that every professor on campus has come to hear him lecture.)
2. (There is an eminent stain on that shirt.)

Question 23

emollient

(adj.)

Answer 23

soothing

(This emollient cream makes my skin very smooth.)

Question 24

emote

(v.)

Answer 24

to express emotion

(The director told the actor he had to emote, or else the audience would have no idea what his character was going through.)

Question 25

empathy | (n.)

Answer 25

sensitivity to another's feelings as if they were one's own ## Footnote (I feel such **empathy** for my sister when she’s in pain that I cry too.)

Question 26

empirical | (adj.)

Answer 26

1. based on observation or experience 2. capable of being proved or disproved by experiment ## Footnote 1. (The scientist gathered **empirical** data on the growth rate of dandelions by studying the dandelions behind his house.) 2. (That all cats hate getting wet is an **empirical** statement: I can test it by bathing my cat, Trinket.)

Question 27

emulate | (v.)

Answer 27

to imitate ## Footnote (I idolize Britney Spears so much that I **emulate** everything she does: I wear her outfits, sing along to her songs, and date a boy named Justin.)

Question 28

enamor | (v.)

Answer 28

to fill with love, fascinate, usually used in passive form followed by "of" or "with" ## Footnote (I grew **enamored** of that boy when he quoted my favorite love poem.)

Question 29

encore | (n.)

Answer 29

the audience's demand for a repeat performance; also the artist's performance in response to that demand ## Footnote (At the end of the concert, all the fans yelled, “**Encore**! **Encore**!” but the band did not come out to play again.)

Question 30

encumber | (v.)

Answer 30

to weigh down, burden ## Footnote (At the airport, my friend was **encumbered** by her luggage, so I offered to carry two of her bags.)

Question 31

enervate | (v.)

Answer 31

to weaken, exhaust ## Footnote (Writing these sentences **enervates** me so much that I will have to take a nap after I finish.)

Question 32

enfranchise | (v.)

Answer 32

to grant the vote to ## Footnote (The Nineteenth Amendment **enfranchised** women.)

Question 33

engender | (v.)

Answer 33

to bring about, create, generate ## Footnote (During the Olympics, the victories of U.S. athletes **engender** a patriotic spirit among Americans.)

Question 34

enigmatic | (adj.)

Answer 34

mystifying, cryptic ## Footnote (That man wearing the dark suit and dark glasses is so **enigmatic** that no one even knows his name.)

Question 35

enmity | (n.)

Answer 35

ill will, hatred, hostility ## Footnote (Mark and Andy have clearly not forgiven each other, because the **enmity** between them is obvious to anyone in their presence.)

Question 36

ennui | (n.)

Answer 36

boredom, weariness ## Footnote (I feel such **ennui** that I don’t look forward to anything, not even my birthday party.)

Question 37

entail | (v.)

Answer 37

to include as a necessary step ## Footnote (Building a new fence **entails** tearing down the old one.)

Question 38

enthrall | (v.)

Answer 38

to charm, hold spellbound ## Footnote (The sailor’s stories of fighting off sharks and finding ancient treasures **enthralled** his young son.)

Question 39

ephemeral | (adj.)

Answer 39

short-lived, fleeting ## Footnote (She promised she’d love me forever, but her “forever” was only **ephemeral**: she left me after one week.)

Question 40

epistolary | (adj.)

Answer 40

relating to or contianed in letters ## Footnote (Some people call me “Auntie’s boy,” because my aunt and I have such a close **epistolary** relationship that we write each other every day.)

Question 41

epitome | (n.)

Answer 41

a perfect exmple, embodiment ## Footnote (My mother, the **epitome** of good taste, always dresses more elegantly than I do.)

Question 42

equanimity | (n.)

Answer 42

composure ## Footnote (Even though he had just been fired, Mr. Simms showed great **equanimity** by neatly packing up his desk and wishing everyone in the office well.)

Question 43

equivocal | (adj.)

Answer 43

ambiguous, uncertain, undecided ## Footnote (His intentions were so **equivocal** that I didn’t know whether he was being chivalrous or sleazy.)

Question 44

erudite | (adj.)

Answer 44

learned ## Footnote (My Latin teacher is such an **erudite** scholar that he has translated some of the most difficult and abstruse ancient poetry.)

Question 45

eschew | (v.)

Answer 45

to shun, avoid ## Footnote (George hates the color green so much that he **eschews** all green food.)

Question 46

esoteric | (adj.)

Answer 46

understood by only a select few ## Footnote (Even the most advanced students cannot understand the physicist’s **esoteric** theories.)

Question 47

espouse | (v.)

Answer 47

to take up as a cause, support ## Footnote (I love animals so much that I **espouse** animal rights.)

Question 48

ethereal | (adj.)

Answer 48

heavenly, exceptionally delicate or refined ## Footnote (In her flowing silk gown and lace veil, the bride looked **ethereal**.)

Question 49

etymology | (n.)

Answer 49

the history of words, their origin and development ## Footnote (From the study of **etymology**, I know that the word “quixotic” derives from Don Quixote and the word “gaudy” refers to the Spanish architect Gaudí.)

Question 50

euphoric | (adj.)

Answer 50

elated, uplifted ## Footnote (I was **euphoric** when I found out that my sister had given birth to twins.)

Question 51

evanescent | (adj.)

Answer 51

fleeting, momentary ## Footnote (My joy at getting promoted was **evanescent** because I discovered that I would have to work much longer hours in a less friendly office.)

Question 52

evince | (v.)

Answer 52

to show, reveal ## Footnote (Christopher’s hand-wringing and nail-biting **evince** how nervous he is about the upcoming English test.)

Question 53

exacerbate | (v.)

Answer 53

to make more violent, intense ## Footnote (The gruesome and scary movie I saw last night **exacerbated** my fears of the dark.)

Question 54

exalt | (v.)

Answer 54

to glorify, praise ## Footnote (Michael Jordan is the figure in basketball we **exalt** the most.)

Question 55

exasperate | (v.)

Answer 55

to irritate, irk ## Footnote (George’s endless complaints **exasperated** his roomate.)

Question 56

excavate | (v.)

Answer 56

to dig out of the ground and remove ## Footnote (The pharaoh’s treasures were **excavated** by archeologists in Egypt.)

Question 57

exculpate | (v.)

Answer 57

to free from guilt of blame, exonerate ## Footnote (My discovery of the ring behind the dresser **exculpated** me from the charge of having stolen it.)

Question 58

excursion | (n.)

Answer 58

a trip or outing ## Footnote (After taking an **excursion** to the Bronx Zoo, I dreamed about pandas and monkeys.)

Question 59

execrable | (adj.)

Answer 59

loathsome, detestable ## Footnote (Her pudding is so **execrable** that it makes me sick.)

Question 60

exhort | (v.)

Answer 60

to urge, prod, spur ## Footnote (Henry **exhorted** his colleagues to join him in protesting against the university’s hiring policies.)

Question 62

etymology | (n.)

Answer 62

the history of words, their origin and development ## Footnote (From the study of **etymology**, I know that the word “quixotic” derives from Don Quixote and the word “gaudy” refers to the Spanish architect Gaudí.)

Question 63

euphoris | (adj.)

Answer 63

elated, uplifted ## Footnote (I was **euphoric** when I found out that my sister had given birth to twins.)

Question 64

evanescent | (adj.)

Answer 64

fleeting, momentary ## Footnote (My joy at getting promoted was **evanescent** because I discovered that I would have to work much longer hours in a less friendly office.)

Question 65

evince | (v.)

Answer 65

to show, reveal ## Footnote (Christopher’s hand-wringing and nail-biting **evince** how nervous he is about the upcoming English test.)

Question 66

exacerbate | (v.)

Answer 66

to make more violent, intense ## Footnote (The gruesome and scary movie I saw last night **exacerbated** my fears of the dark.)

Question 67

exalt | (v.)

Answer 67

to glorify, praise ## Footnote (Michael Jordan is the figure in basketball we **exalt** the most.)

Question 68

exasperate | (v.)

Answer 68

to irritate, irk ## Footnote (George’s endless complaints **exasperated** his roomate.)

Question 69

excavate | (v.)

Answer 69

to dig out of the ground and remove ## Footnote (The pharaoh’s treasures were **excavated** by archeologists in Egypt.)

Question 70

exculpate | (v.)

Answer 70

to free from guilt or blame, exonerate ## Footnote (My discovery of the ring behind the dresser **exculpated** me from the charge of having stolen it.)

Question 71

excursion | (n.)

Answer 71

a trip or outing ## Footnote (After taking an **excursion** to the Bronx Zoo, I dreamed about pandas and monkeys.)

Question 72

execrable | (adj.)

Answer 72

loathsome, detestable ## Footnote (Her pudding is so **execrable** that it makes me sick.)

Question 73

exhort | (v.)

Answer 73

to urge, prod, spur ## Footnote (Henry **exhorted** his colleagues to join him in protesting against the university’s hiring policies.)

Question 74

exigent | (adj.)

Answer 74

urgent, critical ## Footnote (The patient has an **exigent** need for medication, or else he will lose his sight.)

Question 75

exonerate | (v.)

Answer 75

to free from guilt or blame, exculpate ## Footnote (The true thief’s confession **exonerated** the man who had been held in custody for the crime.)

Question 76

exorbitant | (adj.)

Answer 76

excessive ## Footnote (Her **exorbitant** praise made me blush and squirm in my seat.)

Question 77

expedient | (adj.)

Answer 77

advisable, advantageous, serving one's self-interest ## Footnote (In his bid for reelection, the governor made an **expedient** move by tabling all controversial legislation.)

Question 78

explate | (v.)

Answer 78

to make amends for, atone ## Footnote (To **expiate** my selfishness, I gave all my profits to charity.)

Question 79

expunge | (v.)

Answer 79

to obliterate, eradicate ## Footnote (Fearful of an IRS investigation, Paul tried to **expunge** all incriminating evidence from his tax files.)

Question 80

expurgate | (v.)

Answer 80

to remove offensie or incorrect parts, usually of a book ## Footnote (The history editors **expurgated** from the text all disparaging and inflammatory comments about the Republican Party.)

Question 81

extant | (adj.)

Answer 81

existing, not destroyed or lost ## Footnote (My mother’s **extant** love letters to my father are in the attic trunk.)

Question 82

extol | (v.)

Answer 82

to praise, revere ## Footnote (Violet **extolled** the virtues of a vegetarian diet to her meat- loving brother.)

Question 83

extraneous | (adj.)

Answer 83

irrelevant, extra, not necessary ## Footnote (Personal political ambitions should always remain **extraneous** to legislative policy, but, unfortunately, they rarely are.)

Question 84

extricate | (v.)

Answer 84

to disentangle ## Footnote (Instead of trying to mediate between my brother and sister, I **extricated** myself from the family tension entirely and left the house for the day.)

Question 85

exult | (v.)

Answer 85

to rejoice ## Footnote (When she found out she won the literature prize, Mary **exulted** by dancing and singing through the school’s halls.)