Quick Quizzes 42 - 50 Flashcards
fabrication
fabrication (FAB ruh kay shun) n a lie; something made up
My story about being the prince of Wales was a fabrication. I’m really the king of Denmark.
facetious
facetious ( fuh SEE shus) adj humorous; not serious; clumsily humorous
David was sent to the principal’s office for making a facetious remark about the intelligence of the French teacher.
facile
facile (FAS il) adj fluent; skillful in a superficial way; easy
To say that a writer’s style is facile is to say both that it is skillful and that it would be better if the writer exerted himself or herself more. The word facile almost always contains this sense of superficiality.
Paolo’s poems were facile rather than truly accomplished; if you read them closely, you soon realized they were filled with cliches.
faction
faction (FAK shun) n a group, usually a small part of a larger group, united around some cause; disagreement within an organization.
The faculty was relatively happy, but there was a faction that called for higher pay.
farcical
farcical (FARS i kul) adj absurd; ludicrous
The serious play quickly turned farcical when the leading man’s belt broke and his pants fell to his ankles.
fastidious
fastidious (fa STID ee us) adj meticulous; demanding; finicky
Mrs. O’Hara was a fastidious housekeeper; she cleaned up our crumbs almost before they hit the floor.
fatalist
fatalist (FAYT uh list) n someone who believes that future events are already determined and that humans are powerless to change them
The old man was a fatalist about his illness, believing there was no sense in worrying about something over which he had no control.
figurative
figurative (FIG yur uh tiv) adj based on figure of speech; expressing something in terms usually used for something else; metaphorical
When the mayor said that the housing market had sprouted wings, he was speaking figuratively. The housing market hadn’t really sprouted wings; it had merely risen so rapidly that it had almost seemed to fly.
literal
literal - a literal statement is one in which every word means exactly what it says.
finesse
finesse (fi NES) n skillful maneuvering; subtlety; craftiness
The doctor sewed up the wound with finesse, making stitches so small one could scarcely see them.
flagrant
flagrant (FLAY grunt) adj glaringly bad; notorious; scandalous
An example of a flagrant theft would be stealing a car from the parking lot of a police station. A flagrant spelling error is a very noticeable one. This word is often confused with blatant.
flaunt
flaunt (flawnt) v to show off; to display ostentatiously
Colleen flaunted her engagement ring, shoving it in the face of almost anyone who came near her.
This word is often confused with flout.
flout
flout (flowt) v to disregard something out o disrespect
A driver flouts the traffic laws by driving through red lights and knocking down pedestrians.
To flaunt success is to make certain that everyone knows you are successful. To flout success is to be contemptuous of success or to act as though it means nothing at all.
foible
foible (FOY bul) n a minor character flaw
Patti’s foibles included a tendency to prefer dogs to people.
foment
foment (foh MENT) v to stir up; to instigate
The radicals spread several rumors in an effort to foment rebellion among the peasants
forbear
forbear (for BAYR) v to refrain from; to abstain
Stephen told me I could become a millionaire if I joined him in his business, but his company makes me nervous so I decided to forbear.
The noun is forbearance. A forebear (FOR bayr) –sometimes also spelled forbear– is an ancestor.
forego
forego (for GOH) v to do without; to forbear
We had some of the chocolate cake, some of the chocolate mousse, and some of the chocolate cream pie, but we were worried about our weight so we decided to forego the chocolate covered potato chips. That is, we forewent them. (Can also be spelled forgo).
forsake
forsake (for SAYK) v to abandon; to renounce; to relinquish
We urged Buddy to forsake his life with the alien beings and return to his job at the drugstore.
fortuitous
fortuitous (for TOO uh tus) adj accidental; occurring by chance
The performer’s outcome was not the result of any plan but was entirely fortuitous.
founder
founder (FOWN dur) v to fail; to collapse; to sink
The ship foundered shortly after it’s hull fell off.
Be careful not to confuse this word with flounder, which means to move clumsily or in confusion.
flounder
flounder - to move clumsily or in confusion
The witness began to flounder as the attorney fired question after question.
To remember the difference between founder and flounder…remember to flounder is to be flopping around like a flounder.
fraternal
fraternal (fruh TUR nul) adj like brothers
a fraternity is an organization of men who have bound themselves together in a relationship analogous to that of real brothers.
frenetic
frenetic (fruh NET ik) adj frantic; frenzied
There was a lot of frenetic activity in the office, but nothing ever seemed to get accomplished.
frugal
frugal (FROO gul) adj economical; penny-pinching
Laura was so frugal that she even tried to bargain with the checkout girl at the supermarket.
Mike’s frugality annoyed his daughter Audrey, who loved nothing more than spending money.
furtive
furtive (FUR tiv) adj secretive; sly
Cal wiggled his ears while the countess was talking to him in a furtive attempt to catch our attention.
futile
futile (FYOOT ul) adj useless; hopeless
A D+ average and no extracurricular interests to speak of meant that applying to Harvard was futile, but Lucinda hoped against hope.
forebear
forebear - ancestor
garrulous
garrulous (GAR uh lus) adj talkative; chatty
Gabriella is gregarious and garrulous; she loves to hang out with the gang and gab.
gauche
gauche (gohsh) adj unskillful; awkward; maladroit
Remember the word dexterous? Well, gauche is pretty much the exact opposite. It is the French word for left–the connection is that left-handed people were once thought to be clumsy (this was clearly before the invention of left-handed scissors) and perverse, even evil. These days, gauche tends to describe social, rather than physical, ineptness.
Smadar had a poor sense of comic timing, and her gauche attempts to mock her left-handed friends soon left her with none.
genre
genre (ZHAHN ruh) n a type of category, especially of art or writing
The novel is one literary genre. Poetry is another.
Daoyen displayed a great talent for a particular genre: the bawdy limerick.
genteel
genteel (jen TEEL) adj refined; polite; aristocratic; affecting refinement
The ladies at the ball were too genteel to accept our invitation to the wrestling match.
A person who is genteel has gentility.
gesticulate
gesticulate (jes TIK yuh layt) v to make gestures, especially when speaking or in place of speaking
The speaker gesticulated in such a strange way that the audience paid more attention to his hands than to his words.
A person who gesticulates makes gesticulations.
glut
glut (glut) n surplus; an overabundance
We had a glut of contributions but a dearth, or scarcity, of volunteers; it seemed that people would rather give their money than their time.
grandiloquent
grandiloquent (gran DIL uh kwunt) adj pompous; using a lot of big fancy words in an attempt to sound impressive
The president’s speech was grandiloquent rather than eloquent; there were some six-dollar words and some impressive phrases, but he really had nothing to say.
grandiose
grandiose (GRAN dee ohs) adj absurdly exaggerated
The scientist’s grandiose plan was to build a huge shopping center on the surface of the moon.
gratuitous
gratuitous (gruh TOO uh tus) adj given freely (said of something bad); unjustified; unprovoked; uncalled for
The scathing movie review contained several gratuitous remarks about the sex life of the director.
Their attack against us was gratuitous; we had never done anything to offend them.
Gratuitous is often misunderstood because it is confused with gratuity. A gratuity is a tip, like the one you leave in a restaurant. A gratuity is a nice thing. Gratuitous, however, is not nice. Don’t confuse these words.
gravity
gravity (GRAV uh tee) n seriousness
The anchorman’s nervous giggling was entirely inappropriate, given the gravity of the situation.
Gravity is the force that makes apples fall down instead of up, and also a different sort of weightiness. At the heart of the word gravity is grave, which means serious.
gregarious
gregarious (gruh GAR ee us) adj sociable; enjoying the company of others
Dirk was too gregarious to enjoy the fifty years he spent in solitary confinement.
In biology, gregarious is used to describe animals that live in groups. Bees, which live together in large colonies, are said to be gregarious insects.
guile
guile (gyle) n cunning; duplicity; artfulness
Stuart was shocked by the guile of the car mechanic, who had poked a hole in his radiator and then told him that it had spring a leak.
To be guileless is to be innocent or naive. Guileless and artless are synonyms. The word beguile also means to deceive, but in a charming and not always bad way. Clarence found Mary’s beauty so beguiling that he did anything she asked of him.
hackneyed
hackneyed (HAK need) adj overused; trite; stale
Michael’s book was full of cliches and hackneyed phrases.
“As cold as ice” is a hackneyed expression.
hapless
hapless (HAP lis) adj unlucky
Joe’s hapless search for fun led him from one disappointment to another.
harbinger
harbinger (HAR bin jur) n a forerunner; a signal of
Warm weather is a harbinger of spring.
A cloud of bad breath and body odor, which preceded him by several yards everywhere he went, was Harold’s harbinger.
hedonism
hedonism (HEED uh niz um) n the pursuit of pleasure as a way of life
A hedonist practices hedonism twenty-four hours a day.
Yoshi’s life of hedonism came to an end when his lottery winnings ran out; his massaging armchair and widescreen TV were repossessed, he had to eat macaroni and cheese instead of champagne and lobster, and he could no longer pay to have Victoria’s Secret models fan him with palm fronds and feed him grapes.
hegemony
hegemony (hi JEM uh nee) n leadership, especially of one nation over another
America once held an unchallenged nuclear hegemony.
Japan and Germany vie for hegemony in the foreign-car market.
heresy
heresy (HER uh see) n any belief that is strongly opposed to established beliefs
Galileo was tried for the heresy of suggesting that the sun did not revolve around Earth. He was almost convicted of being a heretic (HER uh tik), but he recanted his heretical (huh RET i kul) view.
hermetic
hermetic (hur MET ik) adj impervious to external influence; airtight
The president led a hermetic existence in the White House, as his advisers attempted to seal him off from the outside world.
The poisonous substance was hermetically sealed inside a glass cylinder.
heyday
heyday (HAY day) n golden age; prime In his heyday, Vernon was a world-class athlete; today he's just Vernon. The heyday of the British Navy ended a long, long time ago.
hiatus
hiatus (hye AY tus) n a break or interruption, often from work
Spencer looked forward to spring break as a welcome hiatus from the rigors of campus parties.
hierarchy
hierarchy (HYE uh rahr kee) n an organization based on rank or degree; pecking order
Kendra was very low in the State Department hierarchy. In fact, her phone number wasn’t even listed in the State Department directory.
There appeared to be no hierarchy in the newly discovered tribe; there were no leaders and, for that matter, no followers.
histrionic
histrionic (his tree AHN ik) adj overly dramatic; theatrical
Adele’s histrionic request for a raise embarrassed everyone in the office. She gesticulated wildly, jumped up and down, and pulled out handfuls of hair, threw herself to the ground, and groaned in agony.
homily
homily (HAHM uh lee) n a sermon
The football coach often began practice with a lengthy homily on the virtues of clean living.
homogeneous
homogeneous (hoh muh JEE nee us) adj uniform; made entirely of one thing The kindergarten class was extremely homogeneous: All the children had blond hair, blue eyes, red shoes, and the same last name.
heterogeneous
heterogeneous (het ur uh JEE nee us) is to be mixed or varied
On Halloween the children amassed a heterogeneous collection of candy, chewing gum, popcorn, and cookies.
husbandry
husbandry (HUZ bun dree) n thrifty management of resources; live-stock farming
Husbandry is the practice of conserving money or resources. To husband is to economize.
Everyone husbanded oil and electricity during the energy crisis of the 1970s.
hyperbole
hyperbole (hye PUR buh lee) n an exaggeration used as a figure of speech; exaggeration
When Joe said, “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse,” he was using hyperbole to convey the extent of his hunger.
hypothetical
hypothetical (hye puh THET uh kul) adj uncertain; unproven
There were several hypothetical explanations for the strange phenomenon, but no one could say for certain what had caused it.
A hypothetical explanation is a hypothesis (hye PAHTH uh sis), the plural of which is hypotheses (hye PAHTH uh seez).
iconoclast
iconoclast (eye KAHN uh klast) n one who attacks popular beliefs or institutions
Iconoclast comes from Greek words meaning image breaker. The original iconoclasts were opponents of the use of icons, or sacred images, in certain Christian churches. Today the word is used to refer to someone who attacks popular figures and ideas–a person to whom “nothing is sacred.”
The popular columnist was an inveterate iconoclast, avidly attacking public figures no matter what their party affiliations.
ideology
ideology (eye dee AHL uh jee) n a system of social or political ideas
Conservatism and liberalism are competing ideologies.
The candidate never managed to communicate his ideology to the voters, so few people were able to grasp what he stood for.
idiosyncrasy
idiosyncrasy (id ee oh SINK ruh see) n a peculiarity; an eccentricity
Eating green beans drenched in ketchup for breakfast was one of Jordan’s idiosyncrasies.
A person who has an idiosyncrasy is said to be idiosyncratic (id ee oh sin KRAT it).
idyllic
idyllic (eye DIL ik) adj charming in a rustic way; naturally peaceful
They built their house on an idyllic spot. There was a babbling brook in back and an unbroken view of wooded hills in front.
An idyllic time or place could also be called an idyl (EYE dul).
ignominy
ignominy (IG nuh min ee) n deep disgrace
After the big scandal, the formerly high-flying investment banker fell into a life of shame and ignominy.
Something that is deeply disgraceful is ignominious (ig nuh MIN ee us).
illicit
illicit ( i LIS it) adj illegal; not permitted
Criminals engage in illicit activities.
Don’t confuse this word with elicit, listed previously.
Police interviewed hundreds of witnesses, trying to elicit clues that might help them stop an illicit business.
immigrate
immigrate (IM i grayt) v to move permanently to a new country
It’s easy to confuse t his word with emigrate. To avoid this, just remember that emigrate means exit, and immigrate means come in.
Edwin immigrated to Canada, thinking the move would give his two-year-old daughter a better shot at attending the University of Toronto preschool.
imminent
imminent (IM uh nunt) adj just about to happen
The pink glow in the east made it clear that sunrise was imminent.
Don’t confuse this word with eminent, listed previously. (well known, respected….)
immutable
immutable (i MYOO tuh bul) adj unchangeable
Jerry’s mother had only one immutable rule: no dancing on the dinner table.
Something that is changeable is said to be mutable.
impartial
impartial (im PAHR shul) adj fair; not favoring one side or the other; unbiased
Jurors are supposed to be impartial rather than partial; they aren’t supposed to make-up their minds until they’ve heard all the evidence.
imperial
imperial (im PEER ee ul) adj like an emperor or an empire
Imperial, emperor, and empire are all derived from the same root. England’s imperial days are over, now that the British Emire has broken apart.
The palace was decorated with imperial splendor.
George’s imperial manner was inappropriate since he was nothing more exalted than the local dogcatcher.
imperious
imperious (im PEER ee us), which means bossy and, usually arrogant.
The director’s imperious style rubbed everyone the wrong way; he always seemed to be giving orders and he never listened to what anyone said.
impeccable
impeccable (im PEK uh bul) adj flawless; entirely without sin
The children’s behavior was impeccable; they didn’t pour dye into the swimming pool
Hal’s clothes were always impeccable; even the wrinkles were perfectly creased..
By the way, peccable means liable to sin. And while we’re at it, a peccadillo is a minor sin.
impervious
impervious (im PUR vee us) adj not allowing anything to pass through; impenetrable
A raincoat, if it is any good, is impervious to water. It is made of an impervious material.
David was impervious to criticism–he did what he wanted to do no matter what anyone said.
impetuous
impetuous (im PECH oo wus) adj impulsive; extremely impatient
Impetuous Dick always seemed to be running off to buy a new car, even if he had just bought one the day before.
Samantha was so impetuous that she never took more than a few seconds to make up her mind.
implement
implement (IM pluh munt) v to carry out
Leo developed a plan for shortening the grass in his yard, but he was unable to implement it because he didn’t have a lawn mower.
impotent
impotent (IM puh tunt) adj powerless; helpless; unable to perform sexual intercourse
Joe and Olga made a few impotent efforts to turn aside the steamroller, but it squished their vegetable garden anyway.
Omnipotent (ahm NIP uh tunt) means all powerful
impugn
impugn (im PYOON) v to attack, especially to attack the truth or integrity of something
The critic impugned the originality of Jacob’s novel, claiming that long stretches of it had been lifted from the work of someone else.
inane
inane (i NAYN) adj silly; senseless
Their plan to make an indoor swimming pool by flooding the basement was inane.
inaugurate
inaugurate (in AW gyuh rayt) v to begin officially; to induct formally into office
The mayor inaugurated the new no-smoking policy and then celebrated by lighting up a big cigar.
To inaugurate a US president is to make him take the oath of office and then give him the keys to the White House.
incandescent
incandescent (in kun DES unt) adj brilliant; giving off heat or light
An incandescent light bulb is one containing a wire or filament that gives off light when it is heated. An incandescent person is one who gives off light or energy in a figurative sense.
Jan’s ideas were so incandescent that simply being near her made you feel as though you understood the subject for the first time.
incantation
incantation (in kan TAY shun) n a chant; the repetition of statements or phrases in a way reminiscent of a chant.
Much to our delight, the wizard’s incantation eventually caused the small stone to turn into a sleek black BMW.
incense
incense (in SENS) v to make very angry
Jeremy was incensed when I told him that even though he was stupid and loathsome, he would always be my best friend.
incessant
incessant (in SES unt) adj unceasing
I will go deaf and lose my mind if your children don’t stop the incessant bickering!
A cessation in a ceasing.
incipient
incipient (in SIP ee unt) adj beginning; emerging
Sitting in class, Henrietta detected an incipient tingle of boredom that told her she would soon be asleep.
The inception of something is its start or formal beginning.
incisive
incisive (in SYE siv) adj cutting right to the heart of the matter
When a surgeon cuts into you, he or she makes an incision. To be incisive is to be as sharp as a scalpel in a figurative sense.
Lloyd’s essays were always incisive; he never wasted any words, and his reasoning was sharp and persuasive.
incongruous
incongruous (in KAHN groo us) adj not harmonious; not consistent; not appropriate; not fitting in
Bill’s membership in the motorcycle gang was incongruous with his mild personality and his career as a management consultant.
incorrigible
incorrigible (in KOR uh juh bul) adj incapable of being reformed
The convict was an incorrigible criminal; as soon as he got out of prison, he said, he was going to rob another doughnut store.
Think of incorrigible as incorrectable. The word corrigible is rarely seen or used these days.
increment
increment (IN cruh munt) n an increase; one in a series of increases
Bernard received a small increment in his salary each year, even though he did less and less work with every day that passed.
indifferent
indifferent (in DIF ur unt) adj not caring one way or the other; apathetic; mediocre
Pedro was indifferent about politics; he didn’t care who was elected to office so long as no one passed a law against Monday night football.
indigenous
indigenous ( in DIJ uh nus) adj native; originating in that area
Fast-food restaurants are indigenous to America, where they were invented.
indigent
indigent (IN di junt) adj poor
The indigent family had little to eat, nothing to spend, and virtually nothing to wear.
Don’t confuse this word with indigenous, listed above.
indignant
indignant (in DIG nunt) adj angry, especially as a result of something unjust or unworthy; insulted
Ted became indignant when the policewoman accused him of stealing the nuclear weapon.
indolent
indolent (IN duh lunt) adj lazy
The indolent teenagers slept late, moped around, and never looked for summer jobs.
indulgent
indulgent (in DUL junt) adj lenient; yielding to desire
The nice mom was indulgent of her children, letting them have all the candy, cookies and ice cream that they wanted, even for breakfast.
ineffable
ineffable (in EF uh bul) adj incapable of being expressed or described
The simple beauty of nature is often so ineffable that it brings tears to our eyes.
The word effable–expressable–is rarely used.
inept
inept (in EPT) adj clumsy; incompetent; gauche
Joshua is an inept dancer; he is as likely to stomp on his partner’s foot as he is to step on it.
inert
inert (in URT) adj inactive; sluggish; not reacting chemically
Having colds made the children inert and reluctant to get out of bed.
inexorable
inexorable (in EK sur uh bul) adj relentless; inevitable; unavoidable
The inexorable waves pounded the shore, as they have always pounded it and as they always will pound it.
infamous
infamous (IN fuh mus) adj shamefully wicked; having an extremely bad reputation; disgraceful
To be infamous is to be famous for being evil or bad. An infamous cheater is one whose cheating is well known.
infatuated
infatuated (in FACH oo ay tid) adj foolish; foolishly passionate or attracted; made folish; foolishly in love
To be infatuated is to be fatuous or foolish.
I was so infatuated with Harry that I drooled and gurgled whenever he was near.
fatuous
fatuous (FACH oo us) adj foolish; silly; idiotic
Pauline is so pretty that her suitors are often driven to fatuous acts of devotion. They are infatuated with her.
fauna
fauna (FAW nuh) n animals
We saw little evidence of fauna on our walk through the woods. We did, however, see plenty of flora, or plants.
flora
flora (FLOOR uh) n plants
In Jim’s yard, the flora consists mostly of weeds.
fecund
fecund (FEE kund) adj fertile; productive
The fecund mother rabbit gave birth to hundreds and hundreds of little rabbits.
felicity
felicity (fuh LIS uh tee) n happiness; skillfulness, especially at expressing things; adeptness
Love was not all felicity for Judy and Steve; they argued all the time. In fact their relationship was characterized by infelicity.
fervor
fervor (FUR vur) n great warmth or earnestness; ardor; zeal
Avid baseball fans frequently display their fervor for the game by throwing food at bad players.
fetter
fetter (FET ur) v to restrain; to hamper
In his pursuit of the Nobel Prize for physics, Professor Jenkins was fettered by his near-total ignorance of the subject.
fidelity
fidelity (fuh DEL uh tee) n faithfulness; loyalty
The motto of the United States Marine Corps is semper fidelis, which is Latin for always loyal.
