F Flashcards
facile
(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)
fallacy
(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)
felicitous
(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)
feral
(adjective) wild.
The garbage dump was inhabited by a pack of feral dogs that had escaped from their owners and become completely wild.
fervent
(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)
flagrant
(adjective) obviously wrong; offensive.
Nixon was forced to resign the presidency after a series of flagrant crimes against the U.S. Constitution.
flagrancy (noun)
flamboyant
(adjective) very colorful, showy, or elaborate.
At Mardi Gras, partygoers compete to show off the most wild and flamboyant outfits.
florid
(adjective) flowery, fancy; reddish.
The grand ballroom was decorated in a florid style. Years of heavy drinking had given him a florid complexion.
foppish
(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)
formidable
(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.”
fortuitous
(adjective) lucky, fortunate.
Although the mayor claimed credit for the falling crime rate, it was really caused by several fortuitous trends.
fractious
(adjective) troublesome, unruly.
Members of the British Parliament are often fractious, shouting insults and sarcastic questions during debates.
fragility
(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)
fraternize
(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)
frenetic
(adjective) chaotic, frantic.
The floor of the stock exchange, filled with traders shouting and gesturing, is a scene of frenetic activity.
