| Term | Definition |
|---|
| fabricate | build; lie; make up (a story) in order to deceive; Ex. ~ the whole story; CF. fabric: underlying structure; Ex. fabric of society |
| facade | front or face (of building); superficial or false appearance |
| facet | small plane surface (of a gem(precious stone)); a side |
| facetious | joking (often inappropriately); unserious; humorous |
| facile | easily accomplished; ready or fluent; superficial; not deep; Ex. ~ solution to a complex problem; Ex. ~ speaker; |
| facilitate | help bring about; make less difficult |
| facsimile | copy |
| faction | party; clique (within a large group); dissension |
| factious | inclined to form factions; causing dissension |
| factitious | artificial; produced artificially; sham; false; Ex. factitious tears |
| factotum | handyman; person who does all kinds of work; CF. do everything |
| faculty | mental or bodily powers; teaching staff |
| fallacious | false; based on a fallacy; misleading; N. fallacy: false idea or notion; false reasoning; Ex. popular fallacy; Ex. fallacy of the argument |
| fallible | liable to err |
| falsify | make (something written) false by changing |
| fallow | (of land) plowed but not sowed (to improve the quality); uncultivated |
| falter | hesitate; weaken in purpose or action; walk or move unsteadily through weakness; N. |
| fanaticism | excessive zeal; extreme devotion to a belief or cause; N. fanatic; ADJ. fanatic |
| fancied | imagined; unreal |
| fancier | breeder or dealer of animals; one who has a special interest, as for raising specific plant or animal |
| fanciful | whimsical; visionary; imaginary; produced by imagination; Ex. fanciful scheme |
| fancy | imagination (of a whimsical or fantastic nature); capricious liking; V: imagine; be fond of; ADJ. decorative; elaborate |
| fanfare | call by bugles or trumpets; showy display; spectacular public display |
| farce | broad comedy; mockery; humorous play full of silly things happening; ADJ. farcical |
| fastidious | difficult to please; squeamish; fussy; finicky |
| fatalism | belief that events are determined by forces or fates beyond one's control; ADJ. fatalistic; CF. fatal: causing death |
| fathom | comprehend; investigate; determine the depth of; N. unit of measurement for the depth of water |
| fathomless | too deep to be measured or understood; unfathomable |
| fatuous | smugly and unconsciously foolish; inane; silly; N. fatuity, fatuousness |
| fauna | animals of a period or region; CF. flora |
| fawning | courting favor by cringing and flattering; V. fawn: exhibit affection as a dog; seek favor or attention by obsequiousness |
| faze | disconcert; dismay; embarrass |
| feasible | practical; able to be carried out; practicable |
| febrile | feverish |
| fecundity | fertility; fruitfulness; ADJ. fecund: very productive of crops or young |
| fertile | producing many young, fruits, or seeds; (of land) producing good crops; V. fertilize |
| fruitful | producing results; profitable; prolific; producing in abundance |
| feign | pretend |
| feint | trick; shift; sham blow; feigned attack to draw away defensive action; V. |
| felicitous | (of a word or remark) apt; suitably expressed; well chosen |
| felicity | happiness; appropriateness (of a remark, choice, etc.); quality of being felicitous |
| feline | of a member of the cat family; N. |
| fell | cruel; (of a disease) deadly |
| fell | cut or knock down (a tree or a person); bring down (with a missile) |
| felon | person convicted of a grave crime; CF. felony: serious crime |
| feral | (of an animal) not domestic; wild |
| ferment | agitation; commotion(noisy and excited activity); unrest (of a political kind); V. produce by fermentation; undergo fermentation; cause (a state of trouble) |
| fermentation | chemical reaction that splits complex organic compounds; unrest; agitation |
| ferret | drive or hunt out of hiding; hunt with ferrets; drive out (as from a hiding place); expel; uncover or discover by searching; Ex. ferret out the secret; N. small fierce animal which catches rats and rabbits by going into their holes |
| fervent | ardent; zealous; hot |
| fervid | ardent; zealous; hot |
| fervor | glowing ardor; intensity of feeling; quality of being fervent or fervid; zeal; intense heat |
| fester | rankle; produce irritation or resentment; (of a cut or wound) generate pus or rot; Ex. His insult festered in my mind for days. |
| festive | joyous; celebratory; relating to a feast or festival |
| fete (fête) | honor at a festival; celebrate or honor with a feast; N. (outdoor) festival or feast; CF. feast |
| fetid (foetid) | malodorous; foul |
| foul | very bad or disagreeable; very dirty; Ex. foul smell/flavor/temper/language/air/deed/weather/means; N. act against the rules; V. make or become foul; commit a foul |
| fetish (fetich) | object believed to have spiritual powers; object of excessive attention or reverence; CF. fetishism |
| fetter | shackle; restrict the freedom of; N. chain or shackle for the foot of a prisoner; CF. foot |
| fiasco | total failure; CF. bottle |
| fiat | command; arbitrary order; Ex. presidential fiat; CF. let it be done |
| fickle | changeable (in affections or friendship); faithless |
| fictitious | imaginary; non-existent; purposely invented to deceive; untrue; Ex. fictitious name/boyfriend; CF. fictional |
| fidelity | loyalty; accuracy |
| figment | invention; something invented; imaginary thing; Ex. figment of your imagination |
| figurative | not literal but metaphorical; using a figure(impression) of speech |
| figure | written symbols; number; amount represented in numbers; outline or silhouette of a thing or human body; person (well-known); impression; diagram; pattern; group in a dance; Ex. figure of speech; V. calculate with numbers; adorn with figures; appear; consider; Ex. My name did not figure in the list. |
| figurine | small ornamental statuette(very small statue) |
| filch | steal (things of small value) |
| filial | pertaining to or befitting a son or daughter; Ex. filial respect |
| filibuster | block legislation or prevent action in a lawmaking body by making very slow long speeches; N; freebooter |
| freebooter | pirate or plunderer who makes war in order to grow rich |
| filigree | delicate ornamental lacelike metalwork |
| filing | particle removed by a file |
| finale | conclusion; concluding part |
| finesse | delicate skill; V: handle with finesse |
| finicky | too particular; fussy; difficult to please; too concerned with unimportant details or quality; Ex. finicky about her food |
| fussy | fastidious; finicky; easily upset |
| fuss: | trouble or worry over trifles; make nervous; pay too much attention to; N: needless concern or worry (about a trivial thing); anxious nervous condition; display of attention; Ex. make a fuss over the baby |
| finite | limited |
| firebrand | piece of burning wood; hothead; troublemaker; person who stirs up trouble |
| fissure | crevice; crack |
| fitful | spasmodic; intermittent; irregular |
| fit | sudden outburst of an illness or feeling; convulsion caused by epilepsy |
| flaccid | flabby; lacking firmness; weak; Ex. flaccid muscles |
| flag | droop; grow feeble; decline in vigor or strength; ADJ. flagging; CF. unflagging |
| flagrant | conspicuously wicked, bad, or offensive; blatant; outrageous |
| flail | beat with or as if with a flail; move wildly; thresh grain by hand; strike or slap; toss about; N: threshing tool consisting of a stick swinging from the end of a long handle |
| flair | talent |
| flamboyant | ornate; highly elaborate; richly colored; ostentatious; showy; CF. flame |
| flaunt | display ostentatiously; Ex. ``Honey, if you've got it, flaunt it !'' |
| flay | strip off skin; plunder; remove the skin from; criticize harshly |
| fleck | spot; mark with flecks; N: small mark or spot |
| fledgling(fledgeling) | inexperienced; N: young bird that has acquired wing feathers and is learning to fly; inexperienced person |
| fleece | wool coat of a sheep; V: shear the fleece from; rob by a trick; swindle; plunder |
| flick | light stroke as with a whip; V: move with a light quick blow; strike with a light quick blow (as from a whip); Ex. flick the switch |
| flicker | burn unsteadily or fitfully; move waveringly; N: flickering movement or light; brief sensation; Ex. flicker of excitement |
| flutter | (of a bird with large wings) wave (the wings) lightly, rapidly, and irregularly; vibrate rapidly or erratically; fly by waving quickly; flitter; N. |
| flinch | hesitate; shrink back (in fear of something unpleasant); Ex. She did not flinch in the face of danger. |
| flippant | lacking proper seriousness; Ex. flippant remarks about death; N. flippancy |
| flip | send (something) spinning, often into the air, by striking with a light quick blow; turn over; Ex. flip over |
| flit | fly; fly or move lightly or quickly; dart lightly; pass swiftly by; Ex. a bee flitting from flower to flower |
| floe | flat mass of floating ice |
| flora | plants of a region or era |
| florescence | condition or period of flowering |
| florid | ruddy; (of a complexion) reddish; flowery; very ornate; CF. rose |
| flush | redden; blush; flow suddenly and abundantly; wash out by a rapid brief flow of water; N: reddish tinge; blush; brief rush; rush of strong feeling; Ex. flush of pride; ADJ: having surfaces in the same plane; even; blushing |
| flowery | full of flowers; full of ornate expressions |
| flotsam | drifting wreckage |
| flounder | struggle and thrash about; proceed clumsily or falter (as in water, mud, snow, etc.); proceed in confusion |
| thrash | beat with a whip or flail; defeat utterly; talk about thoroughly in order to find the answer; move wildly or violently; Ex. The fishes thrashed about in the net. |
| flourish | grow well; prosper; make sweeping gestures; wave; brandish; Ex. The trees flourished in the sun. N: showy movement or gesture; embellishment or ornamentation (esp. in handwriting) |
| flout | reject; mock; show contempt for; scorn; Ex. flout the rules |
| fluctuate | waver; shift; rise and fall as if in waves; change or vary irregularly |
| fluency | smoothness of speech; ADJ. fluent |
| fluke | unlikely occurrence; stroke of fortune; accidental stroke of good luck; ADJ. fluky |
| fluster | confuse; make nervous and confused; N. |
| fluted | having vertical parallel grooves (as in a pillar); V. flute: make long parallel inward curves in; N. flute: long rounded groove incised on the shaft of a column |
| flux | flowing; series of changes; fluctuation; Ex. in a state of flux |
| fodder | coarse food for cattle, horses, etc.; feed for livestock; CF. food |
| foible | small weakness of character; slight fault; CF. feeble |
| foil | contrast; one that by contrast enhances the distinctive characteristics of another |
| foil | defeat; frustrate; prevent from being successful; thwart; CF. fail |
| foist | insert improperly; impose upon another by coercion; palm off; pass off as genuine or worthy; CF. fist |
| foliage | masses of leaves; CF. defoliate |
| foment | stir up; incite; instigate; promote the growth of (something evil or unpleasant) |
| foolhardy | rash; reckless; foolishly daring |
| foppish | vain about dress and appearance; N. fop: man who takes too much interest in his clothes and appearance |
| foray | raid; sudden raid or military advance; V. |
| forbearance | patience; forgiveness; V. forbear: refrain from (in a generous and forgiving way); be patient; Ex. forbear to send him to prison |
| ford | place where a river can be crossed on foot; V. |
| forebears(forbears) | ancestors |
| foreboding | premonition of evil; feeling of coming evil; V. forebode: be a warning of (something unpleasant) |
| forensic | suitable to debate or courts of law; of or used in legal proceedings and the tracking of criminals; Ex. forensic science/medicine |
| forum | public square of an ancient Roman city; public place for open discussion; court of law |
| foreshadow | give an indication beforehand; be a sign of (what is coming); portend; prefigure |
| forerunner | predecessor; one that comes before and indicates the approach of another |
| foresight | ability to foresee future happenings; prudence in providing for the future |
| forestall | prevent by taking action in advance |
| forfeit | something surrendered as punishment for a crime or breach of contract; V: lose as a forfeit; N. forfeiture |
| forge | counterfeit; reproduce fraudulently; form by heating in a forge and hammering into shape; move with a sudden increase of speed or power; Ex. forged ahead in the last two years; N: furnace where metals are heated |
| forgo(forego) | give up; do without |
| forlorn | sad and lonely; wretched; desolate |
| formality | ceremonious quality; ceremonious adherence to rules; something done just for form's sake; Ex. mere formality |
| formidable | menacing; arousing fear; threatening; difficult to defeat; Ex. formidable foe/question |
| forsake | desert; abandon; renounce |
| forswear | renounce under oath; abandon; make a solemn promise to give up; CF. abjure |
| forte | strong point or special talent in a person's character |
| forthright | straightforward; direct; frank |
| forthcoming | happening in the near future; ready; willing to help; Ex. No answer was forthcoming. |
| fortitude | bravery; courage; strength of mind |
| fortuitous | accidental; by chance; N. fortuity |
| foster | rear; bring up (for a certain period only); encourage; promote the development of (feelings or ideas); Ex. help foster friendly relations; ADJ: giving parental care although not related by blood; Ex. foster parents |
| founder | fail completely; sink; CF. flounder |
| founder | person who establishes (an organization or business) |
| fracas | brawl(noisy quarrel or fight) in which a number of people take part; melee |
| fractious | unruly; peevish; cranky; bad-tempered; Ex. fractious horse |
| frail | weak; N. frailty |
| franchise | right or privilege granted by authority; right to vote; license to sell a product in a particular territory |
| frantic | wild; distraught as from fear or worry; Ex. frantic with fear |
| fraudulent | cheating; deceitful; Ex. fraudulent means; N. fraud: deception; swindle |
| fraught | filled (with something unpleasant); full; Ex. fraught with danger and difficulties; CF. freight |
| fray | brawl; fight; V: wear away or unravel by rubbing; have loose threads developing; cause to become worn out (a person's temper or nerves); CF. rub |
| frenetic(phrenetic) | frenzied; frantic |
| frenzied | madly excited; N. frenzy: violent wild excitement |
| fresco | painting on wet plaster (usually fresh) |
| fret | be annoyed or vexed; Ex. fret over your poor grades; N: irritation of mind; ADJ. fretful |
| friction | clash or conflict in opinion; rubbing against |
| frieze | ornamental horizontal band on a wall |
| frigid | intensely cold; cold in manner; Ex. frigid zone |
| fritter | waste (time or money on unimportant things) |
| frivolous | lacking in seriousness; flippant; self-indulgently carefree; unworthy of serious attention; relatively unimportant; trivial |
| frolicsome | prankish; gay; playful; merry; frisky |
| frolic | play and jump about happily; frisk; Ex. frolicking young lambs |
| frond | fern leaf; palm or banana leaf |
| fructify | bear fruit; produce fruit |
| frugality | thrift; economy; ADJ. frugal: practicing economy; costing little; inexpensive |
| fruition | bearing of fruit; fulfillment; realization; Ex. come to/be brought to fruition |
| frustrate | thwart; defeat; prevent from accomplishing a purpose |
| fugitive | fleeting or transitory; lasting only a short time; roving(wandering); running away or fleeing as from the law; N: one who flees; Ex. fugitives at large |
| fulcrum | support on which a lever rests or pivots |
| fulminate | thunder; explode; issue a severe denunciation |
| fulsome | disgustingly excessive; offensively flattering; Ex. ~ praise/expressions of admire |
| fumble | move the fingers and hands awkwardly (in search of something); mishandle or drop a ball that is in play; bungle; botch; spoil by mishandling; N. |
| functionary | official (who performs a particular function) |
| functional | made for practical use only (without decoration); functioning; Ex. ~ modern furniture; CF. ~ism |
| fundamental | basic; primary; essential |
| funereal | sad; solemn; suitable for a funeral |
| furor | frenzy; great anger and excitement; CF. fury |
| furtive | stealthy; quiet and secret (trying to escape notice); sneaky; Ex. ~ glance |
| fusillade | simultaneous firing or outburst (of missiles, questions, etc.) |
| fusion | union; coalition; V. fuse |
| futile | useless; hopeless; ineffectual |
| facility | ability to do something easily and well; ease in doing resulting from skill or aptitude; something that facilitates an action; amenity; Ex. with great ~ |
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