Word List 16

Question 1

dumbfound (v)

Answer 1

astonish

Question 2

dupe (n)

Answer 2

someone easily fooled

While the gullible Watson was made a dupe by unscrupulous parties, Sherlock Holmes was more difficult to fool

Question 3

duress (n)

Answer 3

forcible restraint, especially unlawful

Question 4

ebb (v)

Answer 4

recede; lessen

Sitting on the beach, Mrs Dolloway watched the tide ebb

Question 5

Ebullient (adj)

Answer 5

showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm
Amy’s ebullient nature could not be repressed; she was always wobbling over with excitement
(ebullience n)

Question 6

Eccentric (adj)

Answer 6

irregular; odd; whimsical; bizarre

Question 7

Ecclesiastic (adj)

Answer 7

pertaining to the church

The minister ecclesiastic garb and walked to the pulpit

Question 8

Eclectic (adj)

Answer 8

selective; composed of elements drawn to disparate sources

His style of interior decoration was eclectic

Question 9

Edict (n)

Answer 9

decree (especially one issued by a sovereign); official command

Question 10

Edify (v)

Answer 10

instruct; correct morally
Although his purpose was to edify and not to entertain his audience, many of his listeners were amused and not enlightened

Question 11

Effectual (adj)

Answer 11

able to produce a desired effect

Many once useful antibiotics are no longer effectual in curing bacterial infections

Question 12

Effervescence (n)

Answer 12

inner excitement or exuberance; bubbling from fermentation or carbonation

Question 13

Effete (adj)

Answer 13

lacking visor; worn out; sterile
Is the Democratic Party still a vital political force, or is it an effete, powerless faction, wedded to outmoded liberal policies?

Question 14

Efficacy (n)

Answer 14

power to produce desired effect

The efficacy of this drug depends on the regularity of the dosage

Question 15

Effrontery (n)

Answer 15

impudence; shameless boldness; sheer nerve; presumptuousness
When the boss told Frank she was firing him for laziness and insubordination, he had the effrontery to ask her for a letter of recommendation

Question 16

Effusive (adj)

Answer 16

pouring forth; gushing
Unmoved by Martha’s many compliments on his performance, George dismissed her effusive words of praise as the sentimental outpourings of an emotional fool

Question 17

Egregious (adj)

Answer 17

notorious; conspicuously bad or shocking

She was an egregious liar; we all knew better than to believe a word she said

Question 18

Elegy (n)

Answer 18

poem or song expressing lamentation
On the death of Edward King, Milton composed the elegy “Lycidas”
(elegiacal adj)

Question 19

Elicit (v)

Answer 19

draw out by discussion

The detective tried to elicit where he had hidden his loot

Question 20

Ellipsis (n)

Answer 20

omission of words from a text
Sometimes an ellipsis can lead to a dangling modifier, as in the sentence “Once dressed - you should refrigerate the potato salad”

Question 21

Eloquence (n)

Answer 21

expressiveness; persuasive speech

The crowds were stirred by Martin Luther King’s eloquence

Question 22

Elucidate (v)

Answer 22

explain; enlighten

He was called upon to elucidate the disputed points in his article

Question 23

Emaciated (adj)

Answer 23

thin and wasted

A severe illness left him acutely emaciated, and he did not recover fully until he had regained most of his lost weight

Question 24

Emanate (v)

Answer 24

issue forth

A strong door of sulphur emanated from the spring

Question 25

Embroil (v)

Answer 25

throw into confusion; involve in strife; entangle

Question 26

Embryonic (adj)

Answer 26

undeveloped; rudimentary
The CEO reminisced about the good old days when the computer industry was still in its embryonic stage and start-up companies were being founded in the family garage

Question 27

Emend (v)

Answer 27

correct (usually a text)

Professor Oliver freely emended the manuscript’s text whenever it seemed to make no sense

Question 28

Emendation (n)

Answer 28

correction of errors; improvement

Please initial all the emendations you have made in this contract