F

Question 1

facile

Answer 1

(adjective) easy; shallow or superficial.

The one-minute political commercial favors a candidate with facile opinions rather than serious, thoughtful solutions.

facilitate (verb)
facility (noun)

Question 2

fallacy

Answer 2

(noun) an error in fact or logic.

It’s a fallacy to think that “natural” means “healthful”; after all, the deadly poison arsenic is completely natural.

fallacious (adjective)

Question 3

felicitous

Answer 3

(adjective) pleasing, fortunate, apt.

The sudden blossoming of the dogwood trees on the morning of Matt’s wedding seemed a felicitous sign of good luck.

felicity (noun)

Question 4

feral

Answer 4

(adjective) wild.

The garbage dump was inhabited by a pack of feral dogs that had escaped from their owners and become completely wild.

Question 5

fervent

Answer 5

(adjective) full of intense feeling; ardent, zealous.

In the days just after his religious conversion, his piety was at its most fervent.

fervid (adjective)
fervor (noun)

Question 6

flagrant

Answer 6

(adjective) obviously wrong; offensive.

Nixon was forced to resign the presidency after a series of flagrant crimes against the U.S. Constitution.

flagrancy (noun)

Question 7

flamboyant

Answer 7

(adjective) very colorful, showy, or elaborate.

At Mardi Gras, partygoers compete to show off the most wild and flamboyant outfits.

Question 8

florid

Answer 8

(adjective) flowery, fancy; reddish.

The grand ballroom was decorated in a florid style. Years of heavy drinking had given him a florid complexion.

Question 9

foppish

Answer 9

(adjective) describing a man who is foolishly vain about his dress or appearance.

The foppish character of the 1890s wore bright-colored spats and a top hat; in the 1980s, he wore fancy suspenders and a shirt with a contrasting collar.

Fop (noun)

Question 10

formidable

Answer 10

(adjective) awesome, impressive, or frightening.

According to his plaque in the Baseball Hall of Fame, pitcher Tom Seaver turned the New York Mets “from lovable losers into formidable foes.”

Question 11

fortuitous

Answer 11

(adjective) lucky, fortunate.

Although the mayor claimed credit for the falling crime rate, it was really caused by several fortuitous trends.

Question 12

fractious

Answer 12

(adjective) troublesome, unruly.

Members of the British Parliament are often fractious, shouting insults and sarcastic questions during debates.

Question 13

fragility

Answer 13

(noun) the quality of being easy to break; delicacy, weakness.

Because of their fragility, few stained-glass windows from the early Middle Ages have survived.

fragile (adjective)

Question 14

fraternize

Answer 14

(verb) to associate with on friendly terms.

Although baseball players aren’t supposed to fraternize with their opponents, players from opposing teams often chat before games.

fraternization (noun)

Question 15

frenetic

Answer 15

(adjective) chaotic, frantic.

The floor of the stock exchange, filled with traders shouting and gesturing, is a scene of frenetic activity.

Question 16

frivolity

Answer 16

(noun) lack of seriousness; levity.

The frivolity of the Mardi Gras carnival is in contrast to the seriousness of the religious season of Lent that follows.

frivolous (adjective)

Question 17

frugal

Answer 17

(adjective) spending little.

With our last few dollars, we bought a frugal dinner: a loaf of bread and a piece of cheese.

frugality (noun)

Question 18

fugitive

Answer 18

(noun) someone trying to escape.

When two prisoners broke out of the local jail, police were warned to keep an eye out for the fugitives.

fugitive (adjective)