Word List 16 Flashcards
dumbfound (v)
astonish
dupe (n)
someone easily fooled
While the gullible Watson was made a dupe by unscrupulous parties, Sherlock Holmes was more difficult to fool
duress (n)
forcible restraint, especially unlawful
ebb (v)
recede; lessen
Sitting on the beach, Mrs Dolloway watched the tide ebb
Ebullient (adj)
showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm
Amy’s ebullient nature could not be repressed; she was always wobbling over with excitement
(ebullience n)
Eccentric (adj)
irregular; odd; whimsical; bizarre
Ecclesiastic (adj)
pertaining to the church
The minister ecclesiastic garb and walked to the pulpit
Eclectic (adj)
selective; composed of elements drawn to disparate sources
His style of interior decoration was eclectic
Edict (n)
decree (especially one issued by a sovereign); official command
Edify (v)
instruct; correct morally
Although his purpose was to edify and not to entertain his audience, many of his listeners were amused and not enlightened
Effectual (adj)
able to produce a desired effect
Many once useful antibiotics are no longer effectual in curing bacterial infections
Effervescence (n)
inner excitement or exuberance; bubbling from fermentation or carbonation
Effete (adj)
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?
Efficacy (n)
power to produce desired effect
The efficacy of this drug depends on the regularity of the dosage
Effrontery (n)
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
Effusive (adj)
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
Egregious (adj)
notorious; conspicuously bad or shocking
She was an egregious liar; we all knew better than to believe a word she said
Elegy (n)
poem or song expressing lamentation
On the death of Edward King, Milton composed the elegy “Lycidas”
(elegiacal adj)
Elicit (v)
draw out by discussion
The detective tried to elicit where he had hidden his loot
Ellipsis (n)
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”
Eloquence (n)
expressiveness; persuasive speech
The crowds were stirred by Martin Luther King’s eloquence
Elucidate (v)
explain; enlighten
He was called upon to elucidate the disputed points in his article
Emaciated (adj)
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
Emanate (v)
issue forth
A strong door of sulphur emanated from the spring
Embroil (v)
throw into confusion; involve in strife; entangle
Embryonic (adj)
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
Emend (v)
correct (usually a text)
Professor Oliver freely emended the manuscript’s text whenever it seemed to make no sense
Emendation (n)
correction of errors; improvement
Please initial all the emendations you have made in this contract
