Word List 13 Flashcards
(110 cards)
dyslexia
a condition in the brain that makes it hard for a person to read, write, and spell
dyspeptic
of, related to, or showing indigestion
given to grumbling; morose, grouchy
flippant
lacking proper respect or seriousness
e.g. a flippant response to a serious question
His flippant comment that the poor save on taxes offended many people.
facetious
joking or jesting often inappropriately; waggish
meant to be humorous or funny; not serious
e.g. The essay is a facetious commentary on the absurdity of war as a solution for international disputes.
a facetious and tasteless remark about people in famine-stricken countries being spared the problem of overeating
earshot
the range within which one may hear a person’s unaided voice
e.g. waited until he was out of earshot
earsplitting
distressingly loud or shrill
e.g. the earsplitting noise coming from the jackhammers at the construction site
earthly
characteristic of or belonging to this earth
relating to the human race’s actual life on this earth
possible
e.g. a sermon against our obsession with earthly pursuits
Of what earthly use is it?
earthy
of, relating to, consisting of, or suggestive of earth
rough, coarse, or plain in taste
characteristic of or associated with moral life on the earth
suggestive of plain or poor people or their ways (practical, down-to-earth; crude, gross; unsophisticated)
e.g. earthy creatures like worms/ an earthy yellow earthy flavors prefers earthy to ethereal themes earthy problems of everyday life earthy humor earthy peasant cookery/decor
easel
a frame for supporting something (as an artist’s canvas)
ebb
the reflux of the tide toward its lowest ebb
a point of condition of decline
also
e.g. a surprising ebb in the quality of workmanship in goods coming from that country
The fortunes of the town slowly ebbed as factory after textile factory closed.
ebullience
the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression or thoughts or feelings; exuberance
impassive
unsusceptible to physical feeling; insensible
unsusceptible to or destitute of emotion; apathetic
giving no sign of feeling or emotion; expressionless
e.g. She remained impassive as the officers informed her of her son’s death.
eclectic
selecting what appears to be best in various doctrine, methods, or styles
composed of elements drawn from various sources; also, heterogeneous
e.g. The museum’s eclectic collection has everything from a giraffe skeleton to medieval musical instrument.
economical
marked by careful, efficient, and prudent use of resources; thrifty
operating with little waste or at a saving
e.g. a practical and economical solution to the problem
ecstasy
a state of being beyond reason and self-control
a state of overwhelming emotion; especially, rapturous delight
trance; especially, a mystic or prophetic trance
e.g. Actors are typically in ecstasy upon winning an Oscar.
eddy
a current of water or air running contrary to the main current; especially a circular current; whirlpool
something moving similarly
a contrary or circular current (as of thought or policy)
e.g. caught in a powerful eddy
edifice
building, especially a large or massive structure
a large abstract structure
e.g. a magnificent edifice with a domed ceiling
holds together the social edifice
edify
build, establish
to instruct and improve especially in moral and religious knowledge; uplift, also enlighten, inform
e.g. a family-oriented show that tried to edify the television audience as well as entertain it
edacious
voracious
e.g. My edacious dining companion could always be counted on to order the largest - the often the most expensive - item on the menu.
effervesce
to bubble, hiss, and foam as gas escapes
to show liveliness or exhilaration
fervor
intensity of feeling or expression
intense heat
e.g. The fervor surrounding her campaign continued right through election day.
The novel captures the revolutionary fervor of the period.
effete
no long fertile
having lost character, vitality, or strength
marked by weakness or decadence
soft or delicate from or as if from a pampered existence
effeminate
e.g. the soft, effete society that marked the final years of the Roman empire
a wool scarf a bit effete on an outdoorsman
a good-humored, effete bot brought up by maiden aunts
effluvium
(pl.: effluvia) an invisible emanation; especially, an offensive exhalation or smell
a by-product especially in the form of waste
e.g. the effluvia from local sewage treatment plants polluting the river
efficacy
the power of producing an effect
e.g. questioned the efficacy of the alarms in actually preventing auto theft