gre 1000-1500 Flashcards
(500 cards)
1
Q
discrete
A
separate; unconnected (Eg: The universe is composed of discrete bodies. )
2
Q
discretion
A
prudence; ability to adjust actions to circumstances (Eg: Use your discretion in this matter and do not discuss it with anyone. )
3
Q
discrimination
A
ability to see differences; prejudice (Eg: They feared he lacked sufficient discrimination to judge complex works of modern art. )
4
Q
discursive
A
digressing; rambling (Eg: They were annoyed and bored by her discursive remarks. )
5
Q
disdain
A
treat with scorn or contempt (Eg: You make enemies of all you disdain. )
6
Q
disembark
A
go ashore; unload cargo from a ship (Eg: Before the passengers could disembark, they had to pick up their passports from the ship’s purser. )
7
Q
disenfranchise
A
deprive of a civil right (Eg: The imposition if the poll tax effectively disenfranchised poor Southern blacks, who lost their right to vote. )
8
Q
disengage
A
uncouple; separate; disconnect (Eg: A standard movie routine involves the hero’s desperate attempt to disengage a railroad car from a moving )
9
Q
disfigure
A
mar the appearance of; spoil (Eg: An ugly frown disfigured his normally pleasant face. )
10
Q
disgorge
A
surrender something; efect; vomit (Eg: Unwilling to disgorge the cash he had stolen from the pension fund, the embezzler tried to run away. )
11
Q
disgruntle
A
make discontented (Eg: The passengers were disgruntled by the numerous delays. )
12
Q
dishearten
A
discourage (Eg: His failure to pass the bar exam disheartened him. )
13
Q
disheveled
A
untidy (Eg: Your disheveled appearance will hurt your chances in this interview. )
14
Q
disinclination
A
unwilingness (Eg: Some mornings I feel a great disinclination to get out of bed. )
15
Q
disingenuous
A
not naive; sophisticated (Eg: )
16
Q
disinter
A
dig up; unearth (Eg: They disinterred the body and held an autopsy. )
17
Q
disinterested
A
unprejudiced (Eg: The only disinterested person in the room was the judge. )
18
Q
disjointed
A
disconnected (Eg: His remarks were so disjointed that we could not follow his reasoning. )
19
Q
dislodge
A
remove (forcible) (Eg: Thrusting her fist up under the choking man’s lower ribs, Margaret used the Heimlich maneuver to )
20
Q
dismantle
A
take apart (Eg: When the show closed, they dismantled the scenery before restoring it. )
21
Q
dismember
A
cut into small parts (Eg: When the Austrian Empire was dismembered, several new countries were established. )
22
Q
dismiss
A
eliminate from consideration; reject (Eg: Believing in John’s love for her, she dismissed the notion that he might be unfaithful. )
23
Q
disparage
A
belittle (Eg: Do not disparage anyone’s contribution; these little gifts add up to large sums. )
24
Q
disparate
A
basically different; unrelated (Eg: It is difficult, if not impossible, to organize these disparate elements into a coherent whole. )
25
disparity
difference; condition of inequality (Eg: The disparity in their ages made no difference at all. )
26
dispassionate
calm; impartial (Eg: In a dispassionate analysis of the problem, he carefully examined the causes of the conflict and proceeded )
27
dispatch
speediness; prompt execution; message sent with all due speed (Eg: Young Napoleon defeated the enemy with all possible dispatch; he then sent a dispatch to headquarters, )
28
dispel
scatter; drive away; cause to vanish (Eg: The bright sunlight eventually dispelled the morning mist. )
29
disperse
scatter (Eg: The police fired tear gas into crowd to disperse the protesters. )
30
dispirited
lacking in spirit (Eg: The coach used all the tricks at his command to buoy up the enthusiasm of his team, which I had become )
31
disport
amuse (Eg: The popularity of Florida as a winter resort is constantly increasing; each year, thousands more disport )
32
disputatious
argumentative; fond of argument (Eg: People avoided discussing contemporary problems with him because of his disputatious manner. )
33
disquisition
a formal systematic inquiry; an explanation of the results of a formal inquiry (Eg: In his disquisition, he outlined the steps he had taken in reaching his conclusions. )
34
dissection
analysis; cutting apart in order to examine (Eg: The dissection of frogs on the laboratory is particularly unpleasant to some students. )
35
dissemble
disguise; pretend (Eg: Even though John tried to dissemble his motive for taking modern dance, we all knew there not to dance )
36
disseminate
scatter (like seeds) (Eg: The invention of the radio helped propagandists to disseminate their favorite doctrines very easily. )
37
dissent
disagree (Eg: In a landmark Supreme Court decision, Justice Marshall dissented from the majority opinion. )
38
dissertation
formal essay (Eg: In order to earn a graduate degree from many of our universities, a candidate is frequently required to )
39
dissident
dissenting; rebellious (Eg: In the purge that followed the student demonstrations at Tianamen Square, the government hunted down )
40
dissimulate
pretend; conceal by feigning (Eg: She tried to dissimulate her grief by her exuberant attitude. )
41
dissipate
squander (Eg: The young man quickly dissipated his inheritance and was soon broke. )
42
dissolution
disintegration; looseness in morals (Eg: The profligacy and dissolution of life in Caligula's Rome appall some historians. )
43
dissonance
discord (Eg: Some contemporary musicians deliberately use dissonance to achieve certain effects. )
44
dissuade
advise against (Eg: He could not dissuade his friend from joining the conspirators. )
45
distant
reserved or aloof; cold in manner (Eg: )
46
distend
expand;swell out (Eg: I can tell when he is under stress by the way the veins distend on his forehead. )
47
distill
purify; refine; concentrate (Eg: A moonshiner distills mash into whiskey; an epigrammatist distills thoughts into quips. )
48
distortion
twisting out of shape (Eg: It is difficult to believe the newspaper accounts of this event because of the distortions and exaggerations )
49
distrait
absentminded (Eg: Because of his concentration on the problem, the professor often appeared distrait and unconcerned about )
50
distraught
upset; distracted by anxiety (Eg: The distraught parents frantically searched the ravine for their lost child. )
51
diurnal
daily (Eg: A farmer cannot neglect his diurnal tasks at any time; cows, for example, must be milked regularly. )
52
diva
operatic singer; prima donna (Eg: Although world famous as a diva, she did not indulge in fits of temerament. )
53
diverge
vary; go in different directionsfrom the same point (Eg: The spokes of the wheel diverge from the hub. )
54
divergent
differing; deviating (Eg: The two witnesses presented the jury with remarkably divergent accounts of the same epipode. )
55
diverse
differing in some characteristics; various (Eg: There are diverse ways of approaching this problem. )
56
diversion
act of turning aside; pastime (Eg: After studying for several hours, he needed a diversion from work. )
57
diversity
variety; dissimilitude (Eg: The diversity of colleges in this country indicates that many levels of ability are being served. )
58
divest
strip; deprive (Eg: He was divested of his power to act and could no longer govern. )
59
divine
perceive intuitively; foresee the future (Eg: Nothing infuriated Tom more than Aunt Polly's ability to divine when he was not telling the truth. )
60
divulge
reveal (Eg: I will not tell you this news because I am sure you will divulge it prematurely. )
61
docile
obedient; easily managed (Eg: As docile as he seems today, that old lion was once a ferocious, snarling beast. )
62
docket
program asfor trial; book where such entries are made (Eg: The case of Smith v. Jones was entered in the docket for July 15. )
63
doctrinaire
unable to compromise about points of doctrine; dogmatic; unyielding (Eg: Weng had hoped that the student-led democracy movement might bring about change in China, but the )
64
document
provide written evidence (Eg: She kept all the receipts from her business trip in order to document her expenses for the firm. )
65
doddering
shaky; infirm from old age (Eg: Although he is not as yet a doddering and senile old man, his ideas and opinions no longer can merit the )
66
doff
take off (Eg: A gentleman used to doff his hat to a lady. )
67
dogged
determined;stubborn (Eg: Les Miserables tells of Inspector Javert's long, dogged pursuit of the criminal Jean Valjean. )
68
doggerel
poorverse (Eg: Although we find occasional snatches of genuine poetry in her work, most of her writing is mere doggerel. )
69
dogmatic
positive; arbitrary (Eg: Do not be so dogmatic about that statement; it can be easily refuted. )
70
doldrums
blues; listlessness; slack period (Eg: Once the excitement of meeting her deadline was over, she found herself in the doldrums. )
71
dolorous
sorrowfrl (Eg: He found the dolorous lamentations of the bereaved family emotionally disturbing and he left as quickly as )
72
dolt
stupid person (Eg: I thought I was talking to a mature audience; instead, I find myself addressing a pack of dolts. )
73
domicile
home (Eg: Althoughhis legal domicile was in New York City, his work kept him away from his residence for many )
74
domineer
rule over tyrannically (Eg: Students prefer teachers who guide, not ones who domineer. )
75
don
put on (Eg: When Clark Kent had to don his Superman outfit, he changed clothes in a convenient phone booth. )
76
dormant
sleeping; lethargic; torpid (Eg: Sometimes dormant talents in our friends surprise those of us who never realize how gifted our )
77
dormer
window projecting from roof (Eg: In remodeling the attic into a bedroom, we decided that we needed to put in dormers to provide sufficient )
78
dorsal
relating to the back of an animal (Eg: A shark may be identified by its dorsal fin, which projects above the surface of the ocean. )
79
dossier
file of documents on a subject (Eg: Ordered by J. Edgar Hoover to investigate the senator, the FBI compiled a complete dossier. )
80
dotage
senility (Eg: In his dotage, the old man bored us with long tales of events in his childhood. )
81
dote
be excessively fond of; show signs of mental decline (Eg: Not only grandmothers bore you with stories about their brilliant grandchildren; grandfathers dote on the )
82
dour
sullen; stubborn (Eg: The man was dour abd taciturn. )
83
douse
plunge into water; drench; extinguish (Eg: They doused each other with hoses and balloons. )
84
dowdy
slovenly; untidy (Eg: She tried to change her dowdy image by buying a fashionable new wardrobe. )
85
downcast
disheartened; sad (Eg: Cheerful and optimistic by nature, Beth was never downcast despite the difficulties she faced. )
86
drab
dull; lacking color; cheerless (Eg: The Dutch woman's drab winter coat contrasted with the distinctive, colorful native costume she wore )
87
dregs
sediment; worthless residue (Eg: David poured the wine carefully to avoid stirring up the dregs. )
88
droll
queer and amusing (Eg: He was a popular guest because his droll anecdotes were always entertaining. )
89
drone
idle person; male bee (Eg: Content to let his wife support him, the would-be writer was in reality nothing but a drone. )
90
drone
talk dully; buzz or murmur like a bee (Eg: On a gorgeous day, who wants to be stuck in a classroom listening to the teacher drone? )
91
dross
waste matter; worhtless impurities (Eg: Many methods have been devised to separate the valuable metal from the dross. )
92
drudgery
menial work (Eg: Cinderella's fairy godmother rescued her from a life of drudgery. )
93
dubious
doubtful (Eg: He has the dubious distinction of being the lowest man in his class. )
94
ductility
malleability; flexibility; ability to be drawn out (Eg: Copper wire has many industrial uses because of its extreme ductility. )
95
dulcet
sweet sounding (Eg: The dulcet sounds of the birds at dawn were soon drowned out by the roar of traffic passing our motel. )
96
dupe
someone easily fooled (Eg: While the gullible Watson often was made a dupe by unscrupulous parties, Sherlock Holmes was far more )
97
deplicity
double-dealing; hypocrisy (Eg: People were shocked and dismayed when they learned of his duplicity in this affair, as he had always )
98
duress
forcible restraint, especially unlawfully (Eg: The hostages were held under duress until the prisoners' demands were met. )
99
dutiful
respectful; obedient (Eg: The dutiful child grew up to be a conscientious adult aware of his civic obligations. )
100
dwindle
shrink; reduce (Eg: They spent so much money that their funds dwindled to nothing. )
101
dynamic
active; efficient (Eg: A dynamic government is necessary to meet the demands of a changing society. )
102
dyspeptic
suffering from indigestion (Eg: All the talk about rich food made him feel dyspeptic. )
103
earthy
unrefined; coarse (Eg: His earthy remarks often embarrassed the women in the audience. )
104
ebb
recede; lessen (Eg: His fortunes began to ebb during the recession. )
105
ebullient
showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm (Eg: )
106
eccentric
odd; whimsical; irregular (Eg: The comet passed close by the earth in its eccentric orbit. )
107
eccentricity
oddity; idiosyncrasy (Eg: Some of his friends tried to account for his rudeness to strangers as the eccentricity of genius. )
108
ecclesiastic
pertaining to the church (Eg: The minister donned his ecclesiastic garb and walked to the pulpit. )
109
eclectic
selective; composed of elements drawn from disparate sources (Eg: His style of interior decoration was eclectic: bits and pieces of furnishings from widely divergent periods, )
110
eclipse
darken; extinguish; surpass (Eg: The new stock market high eclipsed the previous record set in 1985. )
111
ecologist
person concerned with the interrelationship between living organisms and their environment (Eg: The ecologist was concerned that the new dam would upset the natural balance of the creatures living in )
112
economy
efficiency or conciseness in using something (Eg: Reading the epigrams of Pope, I admire the economy of his verse: in few words he conveys worlds of )
113
ecstasy
rapture, joy; any overpowering emotion (Eg: The announcement that the war had ended brought on an ecstasy that resulted in many uncontrolled )
114
eddy
swirling current of water, air, etc. (Eg: The water in the tide pool was still, except for an occasional eddy. )
115
edify
instruct; correct morally (Eg: Although his purpose was to edify and not to entertain his audience, many of his listeners were amused )
116
eerie
weird (Eg: In that eerie setting, it was easy to believe in ghosts and other supernatural beings. )
117
efface
rub out (Eg: The coin had been handled so many times that its data had been effaced. )
118
effectual
efficient (Eg: If we are to succeed, we must seek effectual means of securing our goals. )
119
effeminate
having womanly traits (Eg: His voice was high-pitched and effeminate. )
120
effervescence
inner excitement; exuberance (Eg: Nothing depressed her for long; her natural effervescence soon reasserted itself. )
121
effete
worn out; exhausted; barren (Eg: The literature of the age reflected the effete condition of the writers; no new ideas were forthcoming. )
122
efficacy
power to produce desired effect (Eg: The efficacy of this drug depends on the regularity of the dosage. )
123
effigy
dummy (Eg: The mob showed its irritation by hanging the judge in effigy. )
124
effluvium
noxious smell (Eg: Air pollution has become a serious problem in our major cities; the effluvium and the poisons in the air are )
125
effrontery
shameless boldness (Eg: She had the effrontery to insult the guest. )
126
effusion
pouring forth (Eg: The critics objected to her literary effusion because it was too flowery. )
127
effusive
pouring forth; gushing (Eg: Her effusive manner of greeting her friends finally began to irritate them. )
128
egoism
excessive interest in one's self; belief that one should be interested in one's self rather than in (Eg: others )
129
egotism
conceit; vanity (Eg: She thought so much of herself that we found her egotism unwarranted and irritating. )
130
egregious
notorious; conspicuously bad; shocking (Eg: She was an egregious liar; we all knew better than to believe a word she said. )
131
egress
exit (Eg: Barnum's sign "To the Egress" fooled many people who thought they were going to see an animal and )
132
ejaculation
exclamation (Eg: He could not repress an ejaculation of surprise when he heard the news. )
133
elaboration
addition of details; intricacy (Eg: Tell what happened simply, without any elaboration. )
134
elated
overjoyed; in high spirits (Eg: Grinning from ear to ear, Bonnie Blair was clearly elated by her Olympic victory. )
135
elegy
poem or song expressing lamentation (Eg: )
136
elicit
draw out by discussion (Eg: The detectives tried to elicit where he had hidden his loot. )
137
elixir
cure-all; something invigorating (Eg: The news of her chance to go abroad acted on her like an elixir. )
138
ellipsis
omission of words from a text (Eg: Sometimes an ellipsis can lead to a dangling modifier, as in the sentence "Once dressed, you should )
139
elliptical
oval; ambiguous, either purposely or because key words have been left out (Eg: An elliptical billiad ball wobbles because it is not perfectly round; an elliptical remark baffles because it is )
140
eloquence
expressiveness; persuasive speech (Eg: The crowds were stirred by Martin Luther King's eloquence. )
141
elucidate
explain; enlighten (Eg: He was called upon to elucidate the disputed points in his article. )
142
elusive
evasive; baffling; hard to grasp (Eg: His elusive dreams of wealth were costly to those of his friends who supported him financially. )
143
elysian
relating to paradise; blissful (Eg: An afternoon sail on the bay was for her an elysian journey. )
144
emaciated
thin and wasted (Eg: His long period of starvation had left him emaciated. )
145
emanate
issue forth (Eg: A strong odor of sulfur emanated from the spring. )
146
emancipate
set free (Eg: At first, the attempts of the Abolitioninst to emancipate the slaves were unpopular in New England as well )
147
embargo
ban on commerce or other activity (Eg: As a result of the embargo, trade with colonies was at a standstill. )
148
embark
commence; go on board a boat; begin a journey (Eg: In devoting herself to the study of gorillas, Dian Fossey embarked on a course of action that was to cost )
149
embed
enclose; place in something (Eg: Tales of actual historical figures like King Alfred have become embedded in legends. )
150
embellish
adorn (Eg: )
151
embezzlement
stealing (Eg: The bank teller confessed his embezzlement of the funds. )
152
embroil
throw into confusion (Eg: He became embroiled in the heated discussion when he tried to arbitrate the dispute. )
153
embryonic
undeveloped; rudimentary (Eg: The evil of class and race hatred must be eliminated while it is still in an embryonic state; otherwise, it may )
154
emend
correct, usually a text (Eg: The critic emended the book by retranslating several passages. )
155
emendation
correction of errors; improvement (Eg: Please initial all the emendations you have made in this contract. )
156
emetic
substance causing vomiting (Eg: The use of an emetic like mustard is useful in cases of poisoning. )
157
eminent
high; lofty (Eg: After his appointment to this emiment position, he seldom had time for his former friends. )
158
emissary
agent; messenger (Eg: The secretary of State was sent as the President's special emissary to the conference on disarmament. )
159
emollient
soothing or softening remedy (Eg: He applied an emollient to the inflamed area. )
160
emolument
salary; compensation (Eg: In addition to the emolument this position offers, you must consider the social prestige it carries with it. )
161
empathy
ability to identify with another's feelings, ideas, etc (Eg: What made Ann such a fine counselor was her empathy, her ability to put herself in her client's place and )
162
empirical
based on experience (Eg: He distrusted hunches and intuitive flashes; he placed his reliance entirely on empirical data. )
163
emulate
rival; imitate (Eg: As long as our political leaders emulate the virtues of the great leaders of this country, we shall flourish. )
164
enamored
in love (Eg: Narcissus became enamored of his own beauty. )
165
enclave
territory enclosed within an alien land (Eg: The Vatican is an independent enclave in Italy. )
166
encomiastic
praising; eulogistic (Eg: Some critics believe that his encomiastic statements about Napoleon were inspired by his desire for )
167
encomium
high praise; eulogy (Eg: Uneasy with the encomiums expressed by his supporters, Tolkien felt unworthy of such high praise. )
168
encompass
surround (Eg: Although we were encompassed by enemy forces, we were cheerful for we were well stocked and could )
169
encroachment
gradual intrusion (Eg: The encroachment of the factories upon the neighborhood lowered the value of the real estate. )
170
encumber
burden (Eg: Some people encumber themselves with too much luggage, when they take short trips. )
171
endearment
fond word or act (Eg: Your gifts and endearments cannot make me forget your earlier insolence. )
172
endemic
prevailinig among a specific group of people or in a specific are or country (Eg: This disease is endemic in this part of the world; more than 80 percent of the population are at one time or )
173
endorse
approve; support (Eg: Everyone waited to see which one of the rival candidates for the city council the mayor would endorse. )
174
endue
provide with some quality; endow (Eg: He was endued with a lion's courage. )
175
enduring
lasting; surviving (Eg: Keats believed in the enduring power of great art, which outlast its creator's brief lives. )
176
energize
invigorate; make forceful and active (Eg: Rather than exhausting Maggie, dancing energized her. )
177
enervate
weaken (Eg: She was slow to recover from her illness; even a short walk to the window evervated her. )
178
enfranchise
admit to the rights of citizenship (especially the right to vote) (Eg: Although blacks were enfranchised shortly after the Civil War, women did not receive the right to vote )
179
engage
attract; hire; pledge oneself; confront (Eg: "Your case has engaged my interest, my lord," said Holmes, "You many engage my services." )
180
engender
cause; produce (Eg: To receive praise for real accomplishments engenders self-confidence in a child. )
181
engross
occupy fully (Eg: John was so engrossed in his studies that he did not hear his mother call. )
182
enhance
advance; improve (Eg: Your chances for promotion in this department will be enhanced if you take some more courses in evening )
183
enigma
puzzle (Eg: Depite all attempts to decipher the code, it remained an enigma. )
184
enigmatic
obscure; puzzling (Eg: Many have sought to fathom the enigmatic smile of the Mona Lisa. )
185
enjoin
command; order; forbid (Eg: The owners of the company asked the court to enjoin the union from picketing the plant. )
186
enmity
ill will; hatred (Eg: At Camp David President Carter labored to bring an end to the enmity that prevented Egypt and Israel )
187
ennui
boredom (Eg: The monotonous routine of hopital life induced a feeling of ennui which made him moody and irritable. )
188
enormity
hugeness (in a bad sense) (Eg: He did not realize the enormity of his crime until he saw what suffering he had caused. )
189
enrapture
please intensely (Eg: The audience was enraptured by the freshness of the voices and the excellent orchestration. )
190
ensconce
settle comfortably (Eg: The parents thought that their children were ensconced safely in the private school and decided to leave )
191
ensue
follow (Eg: The evils that ensued were the direct result of the miscalculations of the leaders. )
192
enthrall
capture; enslave (Eg: From the moment he saw her picture, he was enthralled by her beauty. )
193
entice
lure; attract; tempt (Eg: She always tried to entice her baby brother into mischief. )
194
entity
real being (Eg: As soon as the charter was adopted, the United Nations became an entity and had to be considered as a )
195
entomology
study of insects (Eg: I found entomology the least interesting part of my course in biology; studying insects bored me. )
196
entrance
put under a spell; carry away with emotion (Eg: Shafts of sunlight on a wall could entrance her and leave her spellbound. )
197
entreat
plead; ask earnestly (Eg: She entreated her father to let her stay out till midnight. )
198
entree
entrance; a way in (Eg: Because of his wealth and social position, he had entree into the most exclusive circles. )
199
entrepreneur
businessperson; contractor (Eg: Opponents of our present tax program argue that it discourages entrepreneurs from trying new fields of )
200
enumerate
list; mention one by one (Eg: Huck hung his head in shame as Miss Watson enumerated his many flaws. )
201
enunciate
speak distinctly (Eg: How will people understand you if you do not enunciate? )
202
environ
enclose; surround (Eg: Paris was environed by a wall )
203
eon
long period of time; an age (Eg: It has taken eons for our civilization to develop. )
204
epaulet
ornament worn on the shoulder (of a uniform, etc.) (Eg: The shoulder loops on Sam Spade's trench coat are the nonmilitary counterparts of the fringed epaulets on )
205
ephemeral
short-lived; fleeting (Eg: The mayfly is an ephemeral creature. )
206
epic
long heroic poem, novel, or similar work of art (Eg: Kurosawa's film Seven Samurai is an epic portraying the struggle of seven warriors to destroy a band of )
207
epicure
connoisseur of food and drink (Eg: epicures frequent this restaurant because it features exotic wines and dishes. )
208
epigram
witty thought or saying, usually short (Eg: Poor Richard's epigrams made Benjamin Franklin famous. )
209
epilogue
short speech at conclusion of dramatic work (Eg: The audience was so disappointed in the play that many did not remain to hear the epilogue. )
210
episodic
loosely connected (Eg: Though he tried to follow the plot of Gravity's Rainbow, John found the novel too episodic. )
211
epistemologist
philosopher who studies the nature of knowledge (Eg: "What is more important, a knowledge of nature of the nature of knowledge?" the epistemologist asked the )
212
epitaph
inscription in memory of a dead person (Eg: In his will, he dictated the epitaph he wanted placed on his tombstone. )
213
epithet
word or phrase characteristically used to describe a person or thing (Eg: So many kings of France were named Charles that modern students need epithets to tell them apart: )
214
epitome
perfect example or embodiment (Eg: Singing "I am the very model of a modern Major-General" in The Pirates of Penzance, Major-General )
215
epoch
period of time (Eg: The glacial epoch lasted for thousands of years. )
216
equable
tranquil; steady; uniform (Eg: After the hot summers and cold winters of New England, he found the climate of the West Indies equable )
217
equanimity
calmness of temperament (Eg: In his later years, he could look upon the foolishness of the world with equanimity and humor. )
218
equestrian
rider on horseback (Eg: These paths in the park are reserved for equestrians and their steeds. )
219
equilibrium
balance (Eg: After the divorce, he needed some time to regain his equilibrium. )
220
equine
resembling a horse (Eg: His long, bony face had an equine look to it. )
221
equinox
period of equal days and nights; the beginning of spring and autumn (Eg: The vernal equinox is usually marked by heavy rainstorms. )
222
equipoise
balance; balancing force; equilibrium (Eg: The high-wire acrobat used his pole as an equipose to overcome the swaying caused by the wind. )
223
equitable
fair; impartial (Eg: I am seeking an equitable solution to this dispute, one which will be fair and acceptable to both sides. )
224
equity
fairness; justice (Eg: Our courts guarantee equity to all. )
225
equivocal
doubtful; ambiguous (Eg: Macbeth was misled by the equivocal statements of the witches. )
226
equivocate
lie; mislead; attempt to conceal the truth (Eg: The audience saw through his attempts to equivocate on the subject under discussion and ridiculed his )
227
erode
eat away (Eg: The limestone was eroded by the dripping water )
228
erotic
pertaining to passionate love (Eg: The erotic passages in this novel should be removed as they are merely pornographic. )
229
errant
wandering (Eg: Many a charming tale has been written about the knights-errant who helped the weak and punished the )
230
erratic
odd; unpredictable (Eg: Investors become anxious when the stock market appears erratic. )
231
erroneous
mistaken; wrong (Eg: I thought my answer was correct, but it was erroneous. )
232
erudite
learned; scholarly (Eg: His erudite writing was difficult to read because of the many allusions which were unfamiliar to most )
233
escapade
prank; flighty conduct (Eg: The headmaster could not regard this latest escapade as a boyish joke and expelled the young man. )
234
eschew
avoid (Eg: He tried to eschew all display of temper. )
235
esoteric
hard to understand; known only to the chosen few (Eg: New Yorker short stories often include esoteric allusions to obscure people and events: the implication is if )
236
espionage
spying (Eg: In order to maintain its power, the government developed a system of espionage that penetrated every )
237
espouse
adopt; support (Eg: She was always ready to espouse a worthy cause. )
238
esteem
repect; value; judge (Eg: I esteem Ezra Pound both for his exciting poetry and for his acute comments on literature. )
239
estranged
separated; alienated (Eg: The estranged wife sought a divorce. )
240
ethereal
light; heavenly; fine (Eg: Visitors were impressed by her ethereal beauty, her delicate charm. )
241
ethnic
relating to races (Eg: Intolerance between ethnic groups is deplorable and usually is based on lack of information. )
242
ethnology
study of mankind (Eg: Sociology is one aspect of the science of ethnology. )
243
ethos
underlying character of a culture, group, etc. (Eg: Seeing how tenderly Spaniards treated her small daughter made author Barbara Kingsolver aware of how )
244
etymology
study of word parts (Eg: A knowledge of etymology can help you on many English tests. )
245
eugenic
pertaining to the improvement of race (Eg: It is easier to apply eugenic principles to the raising of racehorses or prize cattle than t the development of )
246
eulogistic
praising (Eg: To everyone's surprise, the speech was eulogistic rather than critical in tone. )
247
eulogy
praise (Eg: All the eulogies of his friends could not remove the sting of the calumny heaped upon him by his enemies. )
248
euphemism
mild expression in place of an unpleasant one (Eg: The expression "he passed away" is a euphemism for "he died." )
249
euphony
sweet sound (Eg: Noted for its euphony even when it is spoken, the Italian language is particularly pleasing to the ear when )
250
euphoria
feeling of exaggerated (or unfounded) well-being (Eg: "Jill's been on cloud nine ever since Jacj asked her out," said Betty, dismissing her friend's euphoria. )
251
euthanasia
mercy killing (Eg: Many people support euthanasia for terminally ill patients who wish to die. )
252
evanescent
fleeting; vanishing (Eg: For a brief moment, the entire skyline was bathed in an orange-red hue in the evanescent rays of the )
253
evasive
not frank; eluding (Eg: Your evasive answers convinced the judge that you were witholding important evidence. )
254
evince
show clearly (Eg: When he tried to answer the questions, he evinced his ignorance of the subject matter. )
255
evenhanded
impartial; fair (Eg: Do men and women receive evenhanded treatment from their teachers, or, as recent studies suggest, do )
256
evoke
call forth (Eg: He evoked much criticism by his hostile manner. )
257
ewe
female sheep (Eg: The flock of sheep was made up of dozens of ewes, together with only a handful of rams. )
258
exacerbate
worsen; embitter (Eg: This latest arrest will exacerbate the already existing discontent of the people and enrage them. )
259
exacting
extremely demanding (Eg: The colonies rebelled against the exacting financial claims of the mother country. )
260
exalt
raise in rank or dignity; praise (Eg: The actor Alec Guinness was exalted to the rank of knighthood by the Queen; he now is known as Sir Alec )
261
exasperate
vex (Eg: Johnny often exasperates his mother with his pranks. )
262
excerpt
selected passage (written or musical) (Eg: The cinematic equivalent of an excerpt from a novel is a clip from a film. )
263
exchequer
treasury (Eg: He had been Chancellor of the exchequer before his promotion to the office he now holds. )
264
excise
cut away; cut out (Eg: When you excise the dead and dying limbs of a tree, you not only improve its appearance but also enhance )
265
excoriate
flay; abrade (Eg: These shoes are so ill-fitting that they will excoriate the feet and create blisters. )
266
exculpate
clear from blame (Eg: He was exculpated of the crime when the real criminal confessed. )
267
execrable
very bad (Eg: The anecdote was in execrable taste and shocked the audience. )
268
execrate
curse; express abhorrence for (Eg: The world execrates the memory of Hitler and hopes that genocide will never again be the policy of any )
269
execute
put into effect; carry out (Eg: The choreographer wanted to see how well she could execute a pirouette. )
270
exegesis
explanation, especially of biblical passages (Eg: I can follow your exegesis of this passage to a limited degree; some of your reasoning eludes me. )
271
exemplary
serving as a model; outstanding (Eg: Her exemplary behavior was praised at commencement. )
272
exemplify
show by example; furnish an example (Eg: Three-time winner of the Super Bowl, Joe Montana exemplifies the ideal quarterback. )
273
exertion
effort; expenditure of much physical work (Eg: The exertion involved in unscrewing the rusty bolt left her exhausted. )
274
exhort
urge (Eg: The evangelist will exhort all sinners in his audience to reform. )
275
exhume
dig out of the ground; remove from a grave (Eg: Because of the rumor that he had been poisoned, his body was exhumed in order that an autopsy might be )
276
exigency
urgent situation (Eg: In this exigency, we must look for aid from our allies. )
277
exiguous
small; minute (Eg: Grass grew there, an exiguous outcropping among the rocks. )
278
existential
pertaining to existence; pertaining to the philosophy of existentialism (Eg: To the existential philosopher, human reason is inadequate to explain an irrational, meaningless universe. )
279
exodus
departure (Eg: The exodus from the hot and stuffy city was particularly noticeable on Friday evenings. )
280
exonerate
acquit; exculpate (Eg: I am sure this letter naming the actual culprit will exonerate you. )
281
exorbitant
excessive (Eg: The people grumbled at his exorbitant prices but paid them because he had a monopoly. )
282
exorcise
drive our evil spirits (Eg: By incantation and prayer, the medicine man sought to exorcise the evil spirits that had taken possession of )
283
exotic
not native; strange (Eg: Because of his exotic headdress, he was followed in the streets by small children who laughed at his strange )
284
expatiate
talk at length (Eg: At this time, please give us a brief resume of your work; we shall permit you to expatiate later. )
285
expatriate
exile; someone who has withdrawn from his native land (Eg: Henry James was an American expatriate who settled in England. )
286
expedient
suitable; practical; politic (Eg: A pragmatic politician, he was guided by what was expedient rather than by what was ethical. )
287
expedite
hasten (Eg: We hope you will be able to expedite delivery because of our tight schedule. )
288
expertise
specialized knowledge; expert skill (Eg: Although she was knowledgeable in a number of fields, she was hired for her particular expertise in )
289
expiate
make amends for (a sin) (Eg: He tried to expiate his crimes by a full confession to the authorities. )
290
expletive
interjection; profane oath (Eg: The sergeant's remarks were filled with expletives that offended the new recruits. )
291
explicate
explain; interpret; clarify (Eg: Harry Levin explicated James Joyce's novels with such clarity that even Finnegan's Wake seemed )
292
explicit
totally clear; definite; outspoken (Eg: Don't just hint around that you're dissatisfied: be explicit about what's bugging you. )
293
exploit
deed or action, particularly a brave deed (Eg: Raoul Wallenberg was noted for his exploits in rescuing Jews from Hitler's forces. )
294
exploit
make use of, sometimes unjustly (Eg: Caesar Chavez fought attempts to exploit migrant farmworkers in California. )
295
expository
explanatory; serving to explain (Eg: The mannual that came with my VCR was no masterpiece of expository prose: its explanations were so )
296
expostulation
protest; remonstrance (Eg: Despite the teacher's scoldings and expostulations, the class remained unruly. )
297
exposure
risk, particularly of being exposed to disease or to the elements; unmasking; act of laying (Eg: something open )
298
expunge
cancel; remove (Eg: If you behave, I will expunge this notation from your record. )
299
expurgate
clean; remove offensive parts of a book (Eg: The editors felt that certain passages in the book had to be expurgated before it could be used in the )
300
extant
still in existence (Eg: Although the authorities suppressed the book, many copies are extant and may be purchased at exorbitant )
301
extemporaneous
not planned; impromtu (Eg: Because his extemporaneous remarks were misinterpreted, he decided to write all his speeches in advance. )
302
extenuate
weaken; mitigate (Eg: It is easier for us to extenuate our own shortcomings than those of others. )
303
extirpate
root up (Eg: The Salem witch trials were a misguided attempt to extirpate superstition and heresy. )
304
extol
praise; glorify (Eg: The astronauts were extolled as the pioneers of the Space Age. )
305
extort
wring from; get money by threats, etc. (Eg: The blackmailer extorted money from his victim. )
306
extradition
surrender of prisoner by one state to another (Eg: The lawyers opposed the extradition of their client on the grounds that for more than five years he had )
307
extraneous
not essential; external (Eg: Do not pad your paper with extraneous matters; stick to essential items only. )
308
extrapolation
projection; conjecture (Eg: Based on their extrapolation from the results of the primaries on Super Tuesday, the networks predicted )
309
extricate
free; disentangle (Eg: He found that he could not extricate himself from the trap. )
310
extrinsic
external; not inherent; foreign (Eg: Do not be fooled by extrinsic causes. We must look for the intrinsic reason. )
311
extrovert
person interested mostly in external objects and actions (Eg: A good salesperson in usually an extrovert, who likes to mingle with people. )
312
extrude
force or push out (Eg: Much pressure is required to extrude these plastics. )
313
exuberant
abundant; effusive; lavish (Eg: His speeches were famous for his exuberant language and vivid imagery. )
314
exude
discharge; give forth (Eg: The maple syrup is obtained from the sap that the trees exude in early spring. )
315
exult
rejoice (Eg: We exulted when our team won the victory. )
316
fabricate
build; lie (Eg: Because of the child's tendency to fabricate, we had trouble believing her. )
317
facade
front of the building (Eg: The facade of the church had often been photographed by tourists because it was more interesting than )
318
facet
small plane surface (of a gem); a side (Eg: The stonecutter decided to improve the rough diamond by providing it with several facets. )
319
facetious
humorous; jocular (Eg: Your facetious remarks are not appropriate at this serious moment. )
320
facile
easy; expert (Eg: Because he was a facile speaker, he never refused a request to address an organization. )
321
facilitate
make less difficult (Eg: He tried to facilitate repayment of the loan by getting a part-time job. )
322
facsimilie
copy (Eg: Many museums sell facsimilies of the works of art on display. )
323
faction
party; clique; dissension (Eg: The quarrels and bickering of the two small factions within the club disturbed the majority of the )
324
factious
inclined to form factions; causing dissension. (Eg: Your statement is factious and will upset the harmony that now exists. )
325
factitous
artificial; sham (Eg: Hollywood actresses often create factitious tears by using glycerine. )
326
factotum
handyman; person who does all kinds of work (Eg: Although we had hired him as a messenger, we soon began to use him as a general factotum around the )
327
faculty
mental or bodily powers; teaching staff (Eg: As he grew old, he feared he might lose his faculties and become useless to his employer. )
328
fallacious
misleading (Eg: Your reasoning must be fallacious because it leads to a ridiculous answer. )
329
fallible
liable to err (Eg: I know I am fallible, but I feel confident that I am right this time. )
330
fallow
plowed but sowed; uncultivated (Eg: )
331
falter
hesitate (Eg: When told to dive off the high board, she did not falter, but proceeded at once. )
332
fanaticism
excessive zeal (Eg: The leader of the group was held responsible even though he could not control the fanaticism of his )
333
fancied
imagined; unreal (Eg: You are resenting fancied insults. No one has ever said such things about you. )
334
fancier
breeder or dealer of animals (Eg: The dog fancier exhibited her prize collie at the annual Kennel Club show. )
335
fanciful
whimsical; visionary (Eg: This is a fanciful scheme because it does not consider the facts. )
336
fanfare
call by bugles or trumpets; showy display (Eg: The exposition was opened with fanfare of trumpets and the firing of cannon. )
337
fantastic
unreal; grotesque; whimsical (Eg: Your fears are fantastic because no such animal as you have described exists. )
338
farce
broad comedy; mockery (Eg: Nothing went right; the entire interview degenerated into a farce. )
339
fastidious
difficult to please; squeamish (Eg: The waitresses disliked serving him dinner because of his very fastidious taste. )
340
fatalism
belief that events are determined by forces beyond one's control (Eg: With fatalism, he accepted the hardships that beset him. )
341
fathom
comprehend; investigate (Eg: I find his motives impossible to fathom. )
342
fatuous
foolish; inane (Eg: He is far too intelligent to utter such fatuous remarks. )
343
fauna
animals of a period or region (Eg: The scientist could visualize the fauna of the period by examining the skeletal remains and the fossils. )
344
fawning
courting favor by cringing and flattering (Eg: She was constantly surrounded by a group of fawning admirers who had hoped to win some favor. )
345
faze
disconcert; dismay (Eg: No crisis could faze the resourceful hotel manager. )
346
feasible
practical (Eg: )
347
febrile
feverish (Eg: In his febrile condition, he was subject to nightmares and hallucinations. )
348
fecundity
fertility; fruitfulness (Eg: The fecundity of his mind is illustrated by the many vivid images in his poems. )
349
feign
pretend (Eg: Lady Macbeth feigned illness in the courtyard although she was actually healthy. )
350
feint
trick; shift; sham blow (Eg: The boxer was fooled by his opponent's feint and dropped his guard. )
351
felicitous
apt; suitably expressed; well chosen (Eg: He was famous for his felicitous remarks and was called upon to serve as master-of-ceremonies at many )
352
felicity
happines; appropriateness (of a remark, choice, etc.) (Eg: She wrote a note to the newlyweds wishing them great felicity in their wedded life. )
353
fell
cruel; deadly (Eg: The newspapers told of the tragic spread of the fell disease )
354
felon
person convicted of a grave crime (Eg: A convicted felon loses the right to vote )
355
ferment
agitation; commotion (Eg: With the breakup of the Soviet Union, much of Eastern Europe was in a state of ferment. )
356
ferret
drive or hunt out of hiding (Eg: She was ferreted out their secret. )
357
fervent
ardent; hot (Eg: She felt that the fervent praise was excessive and somewhat undeserved. )
358
fervid
ardent (Eg: Her fervid enthusiasm inspired all of us to undertake the dangerous mission. )
359
fervor
glowing ardor (Eg: Their kiss was full of the fervor of first love. )
360
fester
generate pus (Eg: When her finger began to fester, the doctor lanced it and removed the splinter that had caused the pus to )
361
fester
rankle, produce irritation or resentment (Eg: Joe's insult festered in Anne's mind for days, and made her too angry to speak to him. )
362
festive
joyous; celebratory (Eg: Their wedding in the park was a festive occasion. )
363
fete
honor at a festival (Eg: The returning hero was feted at a community supper and dance. )
364
fetid
malodorous (Eg: The neglected wound became fetid. )
365
fetter
shackle (Eg: The prisoner was fettered to the wall. )
366
fiasco
total failure (Eg: Our ambitious venture ended in a fiasco and we were forced to flee. )
367
fiat
command (Eg: I cannot accept government by fiat; I feel that I must be consulted. )
368
fickle
changeable; faithless (Eg: He discovered his supposedly faithful girlfriend was fickle )
369
fictitious
imaginary (Eg: Although this book purports to be a biography of George Washington, many of the incidents are fictitious. )
370
fidelity
loyalty (Eg: A dog's fidelity to its owner is one of the reasons why that animal is a favorite household pet. )
371
figment
invention; imaginary thing (Eg: That incident never took place; it is a figment of your imagination. )
372
figurative
not literal, but metaphorical; using a figure of speech (Eg: "To lose one's marbles" is a figurative expression; if you're told Jack has lost his marbles, no one expects )
373
figurine
small ornamental statuette (Eg: In the Maltese Falcon, Sam Spade was hired to trace the missing figurine of a black bird. )
374
filch
steal (Eg: The boys filched apples from the fruit stand. )
375
filial
pertaining to a son or daughter (Eg: Many children forget their filial obligations and disregard the wishes of their parents. )
376
filibuster
block legislation by making long speeches (Eg: Even though we disapproved of Senator Foghorn's political goals, we were impressed by his ability to )
377
filigree
delicate, lacelike metalwork (Eg: The pendant with gold filigree that she wore round her neck trembled with each breath she took. )
378
finale
conclusion (Eg: It is not until we reach the finale of this play that we can understand the author's message. )
379
finesse
delicate skill (Eg: The finesse and adroitness of the surgeon impressed the observers in the operating room. )
380
finicky
too particular; fussy (Eg: The old lady was finicky about her food and ate very little. )
381
finite
limited (Eg: It is difficult for humanity with its finite existence to grasp the infinite. )
382
firebrand
hothead; troublemaker (Eg: The police triedto keep track of all the local firebrands when the President came to town. )
383
fissure
crevice (Eg: The mountain climbers secured footholds in tiny fissures in the rock. )
384
fitful
spasmodic; intermittent (Eg: After several fitful attempts, he decided to postpone the start of the project until he felt more energetic. )
385
flaccid
flabby (Eg: His sedentary life had left him with flaccid muscles. )
386
flag
droop; grow feeble (Eg: When the opposing hockey team scored its third goal only minutes into the first period, the home team's )
387
flagrant
conspicuously wicked (Eg: We cannot condone such flagrant violations of the rules. )
388
flail
thresh grain by hand; strike or slap; toss about (Eg: In medieval times, warriors flailed their foe with a metal ball attached to a handle. )
389
flair
talent (Eg: She has an uncanny flair for discovering new artists before the public has become aware of their existence. )
390
flamboyant
ornate (Eg: Modern architecture has discarded the flamboyant trimming on buildings and emphasizes simplicity of line. )
391
flaunt
display ostentatiously (Eg: She is not the one of those actresses who flaunt their physical charms; she can act. )
392
flay
strip off skin; plunder (Eg: The criminal was condemned to be flayed alive. )
393
fleck
spot (Eg: Her cheeks flecked with tears, were testimony to the hours of weeping. )
394
fledgling
inexperienced (Eg: While it is necessary to provide these fledgling poets with an opportunity to present their work, it is not )
395
fleece
wool coat of a sheep (Eg: They shear sheep of their fleece, which they then comb into separate strands of wool. )
396
fleece
rob; plunder (Eg: The tricksters fleeced him of his inheritance. )
397
flick
light stroke as with a whip (Eg: The horse needed no encouragement; only one flick of the whip was all the jockey had to apply to get the )
398
flinch
hesitate; shrink (Eg: He did not flinch in the face of danger but fought back bravely. )
399
flippancy
trifling gaiety (Eg: Your flippancy at this serious moment is offensive. )
400
flit
fly; dart lightly; pass swiftly by (Eg: Like a bee flitting from flower to flower, Rose flitted from one boyfriend to the next. )
401
floe
mass of floating ice (Eg: The ship made slow progress as it battered its way through the ice floes. )
402
flora
plants of a region or era (Eg: Because she was a botanist, she spent most of her time studying the flora of the desert. )
403
florid
flowery; ruddy (Eg: His complexion was even more florid than usual because of his anger. )
404
flotsam
drifting wreckage (Eg: Beachcombers eke out a living by salvaging the flotsam and jetsam of the sea. )
405
flourish
grow well; prosper; make sweeping gestures (Eg: The orange trees flourished in the sun. )
406
flout
reject; mock (Eg: The headstrong youth flouted all authority; he refused to be curbed. )
407
fluctuation
wavering (Eg: Meteorologists watch the fluctuations of the barometer in order to predict the weather. )
408
fluency
smoothness of speech (Eg: He spoke French with fluency and ease. )
409
fluke
unlikely occurrence; stroke of fortune (Eg: )
410
fluster
confuse (Eg: The teacher's sudden question flustered him and he stammered his reply. )
411
fluted
having vertical parallel grooves (as in a pillar) (Eg: All that remained of the ancient building were the fluted columns. )
412
flux
flowing; series of changes (Eg: While conditions are in such a state of flux, I do not wish to commit myself too deeply in this affair. )
413
fodder
coarse food for cattle, horses etc. (Eg: One of Nancy's chores ar the ranch was to put fresh supplies of fodder in the horses' stalls. )
414
foible
weakness; slight fault (Eg: We can overlook the foibles of our friends; no one is perfect. )
415
foil
contrast (Eg: In "Star Wars," dark, evil Darth Vader is a perfect foil for fair-haired, naive Luke Skywalker. )
416
foil
defeat; frustrate (Eg: In the end, Skywalker is able to foil Vader's diabolical schemes. )
417
foist
insert improperly; palm off (Eg: I will not permit you to foist such ridiculous ideas upon the membership of this group. )
418
foliage
masses of leaves (Eg: Every autumn before the leaves fell he promised himself he would drive though the New England to )
419
foment
stir up; instigate (Eg: This report will foment disssension in the club. )
420
foolhardy
rash (Eg: Don't be foolhardy. Get the advice of experienced people before undertaking this venture. )
421
foppish
vain about dress and appearance (Eg: He tried to imitate the foppish manner of the young men of the court. )
422
foray
raid (Eg: The company staged a midnight foray against the enemy outpost. )
423
forberance
patience (Eg: We must use forbearance in dealing with him because he is still weak from his illness. )
424
ford
place where a river can be crossed on foot (Eg: Rather than risk using the shaky rope bridge, David walked a half-mile downstream until he came to the )
425
forebears
ancestors (Eg: Reverence for one's forebears (sometimes referred to as ancestor worship) plays an important part in many )
426
foreboding
premonition of evil (Eg: Caeser ridiculed his wife's foreboding about the Ides of March. )
427
forensic
suitable to debate or courts of law (Eg: In her best forensic manner, the lawyer addressed the jury. )
428
foreshadow
give an indication beforehand; portend; prefigure (Eg: In retrospect, political analysts realized that Yeltsin's defiance of the attempted coup foreshadowed his )
429
foresight
ability to foresee future happenings; prudence (Eg: A wise investor, she had the foresight to buy land just before the current real estate boom. )
430
forestall
prevent by taking action in advance (Eg: By setting up a prenuptial agreement, the prospective bride and groom hoped to forestall any potential )
431
forgo
give up; do without (Eg: Determined to lose weight for the summer, Ida decided to forgo dessert until she could fit into a size eight )
432
formality
adherence to established rules or procedures (Eg: Signing this petition is a mere formality; it does not obligate you in any way. )
433
formidable
menacing; threatening (Eg: We must not treat the battle lightly for we are facing a formidable foe. )
434
forsake
desert; abandon; renounce (Eg: No one expected Foster to forsake his wife and children and run off with another woman. )
435
forswear
renounce; abandon (Eg: The captured knight could escape death only if he agreed to forswear Christianity and embrace Islam as the )
436
forte
strong point or special talent (Eg: I am not eager to play this rather seious role, for my forte is comedy. )
437
forthright
straightforward; direct; frank (Eg: I prefer Jill's forthright approach to Jack's tendency to beat around the bush. )
438
fortitude
bravery; courage (Eg: He was awarded the medal for his fortitude in the battle. )
439
fortuitous
accidental; by chance (Eg: )
440
foster
rear; encourage (Eg: According to the legend, Romulus and Remus were fostered by a she-wolf that raised the abandoned )
441
founder
fail completely; sink (Eg: After hitting the submerged iceberg, the Titanic started taking in water rapidly and soon foundered. )
442
founder
person who establishes (an organization, business) (Eg: Among those drowned when the Titanic sank was the founder of the Abraham & Straus chain. )
443
fracas
brawl; melee (Eg: The military police stopped the fracas in the bar and arrested the belligerents. )
444
fractious
unruly (Eg: The fractious horse unseated its rider. )
445
frailty
weakness (Eg: The doctor prescribed vitamin and mineral supplements for the sick old woman because of her frailty. )
446
franchise
right granted by authority (Eg: The city issued a franchise to the company to operate surface transit lines on the streets for ninety-nine )
447
frantic
wild (Eg: At the time of the collision, many people became frantic with fear. )
448
fraudulent
cheating; deceitful (Eg: The government seeks to prevent fraudulent and misleading advertising. )
449
fraught
filled (Eg: Since this enterprise is fraught with danger, I will ask for volunteers who are willing to assume the risks. )
450
fray
brawl (Eg: The three musketeers were in the thick of fray. )
451
frenetic
frenzied; frantic (Eg: His frenetic activities convinced us that he had no organized plan of operation. )
452
frenzied
madly excited (Eg: As soon as they smelled smoke, the frenzied animals milled about in their cages. )
453
fresco
painting in plaste (usually fresh) (Eg: The cathedral is visited by many tourists who wish to admire the frescoes by Glotto. )
454
fret
to be annonyed or vexed (Eg: To fret over your poor grades is foolish; instead, decide to work harder in the future. )
455
friction
clash in opinion; rubbing against (Eg: At this time when harmony is essential, we cannot afford to have any friction in our group. )
456
frieze
ornamental band on a wall (Eg: The frieze of the church was adorned with sculpture. )
457
frigid
intensely cold (Eg: Alaska is in the frigid zone. )
458
fritter
waste (Eg: He could not apply himself to any task and frittered away his time in idle conversation. )
459
frivolous
lacking in seriousness; self-indulgently carefree; relatively unimportant (Eg: Though Nancy enjoyed Bill's frivolous, lighthearted companionship, she sometimes wondered whether he )
460
frolicsome
prankish; gay (Eg: The frolicsome puppy tried to lick the face of its master. )
461
frond
fern leaf; palm or banana leaf (Eg: After the storm the beach was littered with the fronds of palm trees. )
462
fructify
bear fruit (Eg: This peach tree should fructify in three years. )
463
frugality
thrift; economy (Eg: In these economically difficult days businesses must practice frugality or risk bankruptcy. )
464
fruition
bearing of fruit; fulfillment; realization (Eg: This building marks the fruition of all our aspirations and years of hard work. )
465
fugitive
fleeting or transitory; roving (Eg: The film brought a few fugitive images to her mind, but on the whole it made no lasting impression upon )
466
fulcrum
support on which a lever rests (Eg: If we use this stone as a fulcrum and the crowbar as a lever, we may be able to move this boulder. )
467
fulminate
thunder; explode (Eg: The people against whom she fulminated were innocent of any wrongdoing. )
468
fulsome
disgustingly excessive (Eg: His fulsome praise of the dictator annoyed his listeners. )
469
functionary
official (Eg: As his case was transferred from one functionary to another, he began to despair of ever reaching a )
470
fundamental
basic; primary; essential (Eg: )
471
funereal
sad; solemn (Eg: I fail to understand why there is such a funereal atmosphere; we have lost a battle, not a war. )
472
furor
frenzy; great excitement (Eg: The story of her embezzlement of the funds created a furor on the stock exchange. )
473
furtive
stealthy; sneaky (Eg: The boy gave a furtive look at his classmate's test paper. )
474
fusilade
simultaneous firing or outburs (of missiles, questions, etc.) (Eg: Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture concludes with a thunderous fusilade of cannon fire. )
475
fusion
union; coalition (Eg: The opponents of the political party in power organized a fusion of disgruntled groups and became an )
476
futile
ineffective; fruitless (Eg: Why waste your time on futile pursuits? )
477
feckless
feeble, ineffective; unthinking, irresponsible (Eg: Einstein was noted for his extraordinary inspirations; on the other hand, he was noted for being feckless in )
478
gadfly
animal-biting fly; an irritating person (Eg: Like a gadfly, he irritated all the guests at the hotel; within forty eight hours, everyone regarded him as an )
479
gaffe
social blunder (Eg: According to Miss Manners, to call your husband by your lover's name is worse than a mere gaffe; it is a )
480
gainsay
deny (Eg: She was too honest to gainsay the truth of the report. )
481
gait
manner of walking or running; speed (Eg: The lame man walked with an uneven gait. )
482
galaxy
the Milky Way; any collection of brilliant personalities (Eg: The deaths of such famous actors as Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, Spencer Tracy, and Marlene Dietrich )
483
gall
bitterness; nerve (Eg: The knowledge of his failure filled him with gall. )
484
gall
annoy; chafe (Eg: Their taunts galled him. )
485
galleon
large sailing ship (Eg: The Spaniards pinned their hopes on the galleon, the large warship; the British, on the smaller and faster )
486
galvanize
stimulate by shock; stir up (Eg: The entire nation was galvanized into strong military activity by the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor. )
487
gambit
opening in chess in which a piece is sacrificed (Eg: The player was afraid to accept his opponent's gambit because he feared a trap which as yet he could not )
488
gambol
skip; leap playfully (Eg: Watching children gamboling in the park is a pleasant experience )
489
gamely
in a spirited manner; with courage (Eg: Because he had fought gamely against a much superior boxer, the crowd gave him a standing ovation when )
490
gamut
entire range (Eg: In this performance, the leading lady was able to demonstrate the complete gamut of her acting ability. )
491
gape
open widely (Eg: The huge pit gaped before him; if he stumbled, he would fall in. )
492
garbled
mixed up; jumbled; distorted (Eg: A favorite party game involves passing a whispered message from one person to another; by the time it )
493
gargantuan
huge; enormous (Eg: The gargantuan wrestler was terrified of mice. )
494
gargolye
waterspout carved in groteque figures on a building (Eg: The gargoyles adorning the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris are amusing in their grotesqueness. )
495
garish
gaudy (Eg: She wore a garish rhinestone necklace. )
496
garner
gather; store up (Eg: She hoped to garner the world's literature in one library. )
497
garnish
decorate (Eg: Parsley was used to garnish the boiled potato. )
498
garrulity
talkativeness (Eg: The man who married a dumb wife asked the doctor to make him deaf because of his wife's garrulity after )
499
garrulous
excessively talkative, especially about unimportant subjects; loquacious; wordy (Eg: Many club members avoided the company of the garrulous junior executive because his contant chatter )
500
gastronomy
science of preparing and serving good food (Eg: One of the by-products of his trip to Europe was his interest in gastronomy; he enjoyed preparing and )
