E Flashcards
ebullient
adj. exhilarated, enthusiastic
The baseball player was ebullient after pitching a no hitter.
eccentric
adj. odd; irregular
The English are known for tolerating eccentric behavior.
ecclesiastical
adj. relating to a church
The bishop spent his weekend working on ecclesiastical affairs.
eclectic
adj. selecting from various sources
The English textbook is an eclectic collection of literary works.
ecstatic
adj. joyful
The couple was ecstatic after their child was born.
ecumenical
adj. universal; concerned with promoting unity among churches or religions
The ecumenical group is holding a meeting of representatives of six churches to discuss common beliefs.
edict
n. a decree issued by an authority having the force of law; formal command
The military government issued an edict saying that no one could leave the country.
edification
n. intellectual, moral, or spiritual improvement
Sam took a religion class in the hope it would result in his edification.
edifice
n. building; elaborate conceptual structure
Banks are often impressive edifices.
efface
v. to erase
The date on the coin had been effaced.
effervescent
adj. bubbly, lively
John’s effervescent personality livened up the party.
effete
adj. depleted of vitality; overrefined, decadent
The professor was accused of being an effete snob.
efficacious
adj. efficient, effective
The treatment proved efficacious.
efficacy
n. efficiency, effectiveness
The trials proved the efficacy of the new drug.
effigy
n. likeness of a person
The protesters burned an effigy of the president.
effrontery
n. shameless boldness; presumptuousness
The freshman had the effrontery to question the professor’s conclusion.
effulgent
adj. shining brightly
The planet Jupiter is effulgent tonight.
effusion
n. liquid or other matter poured forth; an unrestrained outpouring of feeling
His poetic effusions were interesting for a while but are now becoming tiresome.
effusive
adj. expressing emotion freely
The teacher was embarrassed by the student’s effusive expression of thanks.
egalitarianism
n. characterized by belief in equal rights for all people
Egalitarianism is an important American value.
egocentric
adj. self-centered
I could see Jim was egocentric because he talked only about himself.
egotistical
adj. excessively self-centered; conceited
Although Steve is egotistical, he is quite popular.
egregious
adj. obviously bad
The English teacher marks egregious errors with a large red “X.”
elaborate (v.)
v. to add details
Try to elaborate on the basic points you’ve made.
elaborate (adj.)
adj. intricate and rich in detail
The family made elaborate preparations for the wedding.
elation
n. joy
Jennifer’s elation was obvious from her big smile.
elegy
n. poem or song expressing lamentation
The poet wrote an elegy after her country was occupied by foreign forces.
elevated
adj. exalted; lofty; noble
The class studied literature dealing with elevated themes such as nobility.
elicit
v. to provoke, draw out
The teacher’s question elicited several responses.
elite
n. select group of people
Only the elite among the recruits were selected for officer training.
elitism
n. belief that certain people deserve preferred treatment; control. by a select group
The teacher argued for an end to elitism in public education.
elixir
n. a substance believed to have the power to cure ills
Many people consider aspirin to be an elixir for many ills.
Elysian
adj. blissful; delightful
The poet’s Elysian vision enthralled a generation of reader.
eloquence
n. effective speech
Although I admire the candidate’s eloquence, I don’t plan to vote for him.
elucidate
v.t o clarify
The student asked the teacher to elucidate her explanation.
elusive
adj. evasive; hard to grasp
The concept is an elusive one, but I’m beginning to understand it.
emaciated
adj. thin and wasted
Jill was emaciated after her long diet.
emanate
v. to issue forth
Steam emanated from the radiator.
emancipation
n. freedom
The emancipation of slaves was a great milestone in American history.
embellish
v. to adorn; decorate; enhance; make more attractive by adding details
In a second account of events, the witness embellished his story.
embodiment
n. representation in bodily or physical form; incarnation
The movie star is the embodiment of the perfect man.
embroil
v. to involve in
Don’t embroil me in your dispute.
embryonic
adj. rudimentary; in early stages of development
The newly independent country is in an embryonic state of development.
emend
v. to correct
The editor emended the error in the manuscript.
émigré
n. person who has left a native country, especially for political reasons
The novel is about Russian émigrés in Paris.
eminence grise
n. a person who exercises power or influence without holding an official position
Many people regard a distinguished retired professor, Dr. Chambliss, as the college’s eminence grise.
eminent
adj. celebrated, distinguished
The college invited an eminent scholar to speak at its graduation ceremony.
emollient
adj. smoothing; mollifying
The president’s emollient approach has helped to keep his party unified.
emotive
adj. appealing to or expressing emotion
Emotive language often makes it difficult to discuss an issue rationally.
empathetic
adj. of, relating to, or characterized by empath; sympathetic
The leader of the country asked the people to be empathetic to the suffering of the poor.
empathy
n. putting oneself in another’s place; sympathy
We felt empathy for the victims of the disaster.
empirical
adj. derived from the observation or experiment
Empirical evidence supports the theory.
emulate
v. to imitate, copy
The young author emulated her favorite writer.
enamored
adj. captivated
Bill became enamored of Judy, his co-worker at the office.
encomium
n. a formal expression of praise
The dean of students ended the dinner for the retiring professor with an encomium about her passion for teaching.
encumber
v. to hinder, burden
The business is encumbered with heavy debts.
endemic
adj. inherent, belonging to an area
Malaria is endemic in that area.
enervate
v. to weaken
The hot weather has enervated me.
enfant terrible
n. one whose unusual behavior or ideas disturbs others
The iconoclastic young painter is the enfant terrible of the New York art scene.
engender
v. to cause, produce
The scientist tried to engender a response in teh test subject.
engrossed
adj. occupied fully
Stan is engrossed in his preparation for the GRE.
enhance
v. to increase; improve
Enhancing your vocabulary will improve your chances of doing well on the GRE.
enigma
n. puzzle; mystery
The student found the character in the novel to be enigmatic.
enjoin
v. to order, urge; officially forbid
The court order enjoined the band from producing more CDs.
enmity
n. ill will; hatred
The peace negotiator worked to reduce the enmity between the two countries.
ennui
n. boredom
Peter took up several hobbies in order to overcome ennui.
enrapture
v. to fill with delight
The children were enraptured by the movie.
ensconce
v. settled comfortably
The couple was ensconced at a table in the café.
entail
v. to involve as a necessary result
Achievement usually entails hard work.
enthralling
adj. captivating; enslaving
His novel is so enthralling that I can hardly put it down.
enticing
adj. tempting; attractive
The enticing candy was waved in front of the child.
entity
n. something that exists
We established the company as a legal entity.
entomology
n. the scientific study of insects
Agriculture is one of the main areas in which entomology has a practical application.
entreat
v. to beg, plead
John’s mother entreated him not to join the army.
entrepreneur
n. a person who organizes a business, taking the risk for the sake of profit
Some people prefer having a secure job to being an entrepreneur.
enunciate
v. to pronounce clearly
The teacher trained the students to enunciate their words.
eon
n. indefinitely long period of time
The Earth existed for eons before life appeared on it.
ephemeral
adj. short-lived; fleeting
By its nature, journalism is ephemeral.
epic (n.)
n. a long narrative poem in elevated language celebrating the exploits of a hero
One of the great epics of world literature is Homer’s Iliad.
epic (adj.)
adj. relating to a long narrative poem in elevated language; heroic or grand in scale or nature
Charles Lindbergh’s book The Spirit of St. Louis recounts his epic transatlantic flight of 1927.
epicure
n. person with refined tastes
Grace prides herself on being an epicure.
epicurean
adj. devoted to pleasure
The store caters to epicurean tastes.
epidemic
n. a widespread disease
The epidemic is spreading from country to country.
epidermis
n. the outer protective nonvascular layer of the skin of vertebrates
In vertebrates, the epidermis is made up of many layers of cells.
epigram
n. short and witty saying
A famous epigram is Mark Twain’s “Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”
epiphany
n. comprehension of reality through a sudden intuitive realization
The wounded soldier experienced an epiphany as he lay in the hospital.
epistemology
n. branch of philosophy that examines the nature of knowledge
Distinguishing justified belief from opinion is one of the tasks of epistemology.
epithelial
adj. relating to the epithelium, membranous tissue composed of one or more compact layers of cells that covers most internal and external surfaces of the body, including its organs
Epithelial tissue is nonvascular.
epithet
n. a word or phrase characterizing a person or thing
A popular epithet for emperors was “The Great.”
epitome
n. representative of a group; ideal example
For many people John Wayne is the epitome of the rugged American male.
epochal
adj. of a particular period of history, especially one considered important
The rise of modern China may one day be considered as an epochal event.
eponym
n. person from whose name something is derived
The mythological figure Romulus is the eponym for Rome.
equanimity
n. composure, calmness
The leader kept his equanimity throughout the crisis.
equilibrium
n. a stable, balanced state
Engineers waited for the system to achieve equilibrium.
equine
adj. relating to horses
Mary love equine sports.
equitable
adj. just and impartial
The lawyers reached an equitable settlement in the dispute.
equivocal
adj. ambiguous; misleading
The general’s reply was equivocal.
equivocate
v. to intentionally use vague language
The judge ordered the witness to stop equivocating.
eradicate
v. to wipe out
The new government seeks to eradicate all opposition to its rule.
errant
adj. mistaken; straying from the proper course
The safety officer destroyed the errant rocket by remote control.
erratic
adj. unpredictable; wandering
The student’s performance on tests is erratic.
erroneous
adj. mistaken; wrong
The teacher corrected the student’s erroneous statement.
ersatz
adj. being an imitation or substitute
The soap opera is a good place to see displays of ersatz emotion.
erudite
adj. learned; scholarly
Professor Walsh is so erudite he knows something about practically everything.
erudition
n. deep and wide learning
Professor Wilson possesses vast erudition.
eschew
v. to abstain from, avoid
Bob eschews dessert when he’s dieting.
esoteric
adj. hard to understand; known only to a few
Jill enjoys reading esoteric poetry.
espouse
v. to support, advocate
I find it interesting to read newspapers that espouse views different from my own.
esprit de corps
n. team spirit
To build esprit de corps, the battalion has a party every month.
essentialism
n. the practice of regarding something (as a presumed human trait) as having innate existence or universal validity rather than as being a social, ideological, or intellectual construct; a philosophical theory ascribing ultimate reality to essence embodied in a thing perceptible to the senses
The sociologist describes essentialism as the tendency to ascribe some invisible essence to all members of a particular group.
esteem
v. to value; respect
The professor is esteemed by his students.
estimable
adj. admirable; possible to estimate
The two countries see one another as estimable adversaries.
estranged
adj. alienated
The estranged couple rarely see each other.
ethereal
adj. insubstantial, intangible; spiritual
The ghost lives an ethereal existence.
ethical
adj. conforming to moral standards
The job demands high ethical standards.
ethnic
adj. relating to cultures or races
The country is torn by ethnic conflict.
ethnocentric
adj. based on the attitude that one’s group is superior
It’s easy to make ethnocentric assumptions when studying other cultures.
ethnologist
n. scientist who studies and compares human cultures
Claude Lévi-Strauss was a French anthropologist and ethnologist who has been called the “father of modern anthropology.”
ethologist
n. scientist who studies animal behavior
Konrad Lorenz was a pioneering ethologist.
ethos
n. beliefs or character of a group
The new director wants to create a new ethos in the company.
etiology
n. causes or origins
The disease has a complex etiology.
etymology
n. origin and history of a word
A good dictionary gives the etymology of words.
eugenics
n. study of the hereditary factors that influence the hereditary qualities of the human race and ways to improve these qualities
One of the early critics of the philosophy of eugenics was the Roman Catholic writer G.K. Chesterton.
eulogy
n. high praise, especially of a person who has recently died
The teacher’s eulogy was delivered by the school principle.
euphemism
n. use of inoffensive language in place of unpleasant language
“Rest room” is a euphemism for “toilet.”
euphony
n. pleasant and harmonious sound
Euphony is a notable feature of this poem.
euphoria
n. a feeling of extreme happiness
There was euphoria in the city after the home team won the World Series.
euthanasia
n. mercy-killing
Euthanasia is one of the important moral issues in modern medicine.
evanescent
adj. transitory, short-lived
The theme of this poem is that life is evanescent.
evince
v. to show plainly
The teacher asked the class to evince three reasons for the failure of the experiment.
eviscerate
v. to disembowel; take away a vital part
The dictator ordered the prisoner to be eviscerated.
evocative
adj. tending to call to mind or produce a reaction
The poem is evocative of childhood.
evoke
v. to produce a reaction; call to mind; create anew
The smell of leaves evoked memories of football games from his childhood.
exacerbate
v. to aggravate, make worse
Moving around will exacerbate your injuny.
exacting
adj. extremely demanding
My English teacher has exacting standards for compositions.
exalted
adj. raised in rank or dignity
Fred was still humble despite his exalted position in the company.
excommunicate
v. to deprive of membership in a group
Dave was excommunicated from the church.
excoriate
v. to criticize strongly
The shocking behavior of the official was excoriated in the media.
exculpate
v. to clear of blame, vindicate
The hearing’s finding exculpated the accused soldier.
execrable
adj. detestable, abhorrent
The judge sentenced the man to life imprisonment for his execrable crime.
exegesis
n., critical interpretation or explanation
The Bible scholar wrote an exegesis of the Gospel of Luke.
exemplar
n. example worth imitating
Shakespeare’s work has been an exemplar for writers for hundreds of years.
exemplary
adj. commendable; worthy of imitation
The soldier won a medal for his exemplary conduct.
exemplify
v. to show by example
The principal urged the seniors to exemplify good conduct for the younger students.
exercise
v. to absorb the attention of; upset
The math problem has exercised my mind all day.
exhort
v. to urge by strong appeals
The captain exhorted her teammates to make a greater effort.
exhume
v. to remove from a grave
The judge ordered the remains exhumed.
exigency
n. crisis; urgent requirements
The civil defense team is prepared for all exigencies.
exigent
adj. requiring immediate action or remedy
Exigent circumstances allow the police to search the house without a warrant.
existential
adj. having to do with existence; based on experience; having to do with the philosophy of existentialism
Several forms of existential psychotherapy have been developed.
exodus
n. departure of a large number of people
After the government collapsed there was an exodus of people from the capital.
exogenous
adj. originating externally
Carcinogens are exogenous factors.
exonerate
v. to absolve, clear of blame
The trial exonerated all of the accused.
exorbitant
adj. greater than reasonable
The doctor’s fees are exobitant.
exorcise
v. to expel evil spirits; free from bad influences
Writing a story about her bad experiences helped to exorcise the memory of them from her mind.
exotic
adj. foreign, romantic, unusual
Jean enjoys visiting exotic places.
expansive
adj. sweeping, comprehensive
We have an expansive view from our house on the hill.
expatiate
v. to speak or write at length
The biologist expatiated on ecology for two hours.
expatriate
n. someone living outside his or her land
There are many expatriates living in former British colonies such as Singapore and Hong Kong.
expedient
adj. suitable; related to self-serving methods
Th expedient course of action is not always the moral one.
expeditious
adj. done with speed and efficiency
Carry out the plan in the most expeditious way possible.
expiate
v. to atone for
Tom performed an act of penance to expiate his sins.
explicable
adj. able to be explained
The new theory makes the observations explicable.
explicit
adj. very clear; definite
The instructions are explicit.
exploit
v. to unfairly use others to gain advantage; to use to the greatest possible advantage
The company was accused of exploiting its worker.
exponent
n. person who champions or advocates
Senator Smith is an exponent of free trade.
exponential
adj. very great; becoming more and more rapid
The population is increasing at an exponential rate.
expository
adj. explanatory
The teacher asked the students to write an expository essay on the topic.
expostulation
n. scolding; reproof
The principal’s expostulations lasted half an hour.
expound
v. to elaborate
The professor expounded on his theory.
expunge
v. to cancel; remove
His name was expunged from the records.
expurgate
v. to censor
Certain scenes have been expurgated from the movie.
extant
adj. in existence; not lost
The college library has all of the extant writing of Willa Cather.
extemporaneous
adj. unrehearsed
The competition requires you to give an extemporaneous talk.
extenuating
adj. mitigating, reducing in severity
The judge considered the extenuating circumstances in the case.
extirpate
v. to root up; destroy
The prosecutor vowed to extirpate corruption in state goernment.
extol
v. to praise
Critics extolled the new novel.
extort
v. to obtain something by threat
Jim extorted money from the old man.
extraneous
adj. not essential
Eliminate extraneous information from your report.
extrapolate
v. to estimate by projecting known information
Extrapolating from present trends, the Earth will be uninhabitable in a few hundred years.
extravagant
adj. excessive; beyond reasonable limits
The Elliots spent an extravagant amount of money on their daughter’s wedding.
extremity
n. farthest point
The North Pole and the South Pole are two of the Earth’s extremities.
extricate
v. to free from
We wondered how we could extricate ourselves from the awkward situation.
extrinsic
adj. not inherent or essential
Extrinsic motivation through money and presents improved John’s school performance.
exuberance
n. unrestrained enthusiasm; abundance; lavishness
I admire the exuberance of the young composer’s work.
exude
v. to give off
The cheerleaders exude enthusiasm.
exult
v. to rejoice
The coach allowed his team a day off from practice to exult in the victory.
