| Term | Definition |
|---|
| duration | length of time something lasts |
| n duress | forcible restraint, especially unlawfully; coercion by threat; illegal coercion; Ex. a promise made under duress |
| n dutiful(duteous) | (of people or their behavior) respectful; obedient (filled with a sense of duty) |
| n dwindle | shrink; reduce gradually |
| dynamic | energetic; vigorously active |
| s dynamo | generator for producing electricity; energetic person |
| n dyspeptic | suffering from indigestion; N. dyspepsia: indigestion; difficulty in digesting food |
| s dys- | abnormal; impaired |
| s dyslexia | word blindness; learning disorder marked by impairment of the ability to read |
| s dysentery | inflammatory disorder of the lower intestinal tract |
| n earthy | unrefined; coarse; of earth; Ex. earthy remarks; OP. ethereal |
| s earthly | of this earth; terrestrial; worldly; not divine; possible; Ex. no earthly reason |
| ebb | (of the tide) recede; lessen; diminish; N. OP. flow: rise of tide |
| ebullient | showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm; boiling; N. ebullience; N. ebullition: state of boiling |
| eccentric | irregular; odd; unconventional;fey; whimsical; bizarre; not concentric |
| eccentricity | oddity; idiosyncrasy |
| ecclesiastic | ecclesiastical; pertaining to the church; N: minister; priest; cleric; clergyman |
| s chapel | small church (in a prison, college, or hospital) |
| s chaplain | clergyman attached to a chapel |
| s padre | chaplain (in the armed forces) |
| eclectic | selective; composed of elements drawn from disparate sources; selecting individual elements from a variety of sources; N. eclecticism |
| eclipse | darken; extinguish; outshine; surpass; cause an eclipse |
| s ecliptic | path of the sun and the planets |
| ecologist | person concerned with the interrelationship between living organisms and their environment; person concerned with the detrimental effects of human civilization on the environment; CF. ecology |
| s ecosystem | ecological community together with its environment |
| economy | efficiency or conciseness in using something; thrifty management of resources |
| ecstasy | rapture; very strong feeling of joy and happiness; any overpowering emotion; ADJ. ecstatic: causing or experiencing ecstasy |
| s rapture | great joy and delight; ecstasy; ADJ. rapturous |
| n eddy | swirling current of water, air, etc.; V. big one=whirlpool |
| edict | decree (especially one issued by a sovereign); official command, CF-like predict |
| s sovereign | ruler in a monarchy; ADJ: (of a country) independent and self-governing; having supreme power; supreme; excellent |
| s sovereignty | complete independence and self-government (of a country); supremacy of authority; power to govern |
| n edify | instruct; correct morally; CF-like modify |
| s edifice | building (of imposing size) |
| eerie | weird; causing fear because strange |
| efface | rub out; remove the surface of |
| effectual | able to produce a desired effect; valid |
| s effective | effectual; producing a strong response; striking; in operation; in effect; Ex. effective speech/photograph |
| s effectuate | effect; produce; achieve; Ex. effectuate a reconciliation |
| effeminate | having womanly traits |
| s emasculate | weaken; castrate |
| s castrate | remove the sex organs (of a male animal or person) |
| n effervescence | inner excitement or exuberance; showing high spirits; emitting bubbles forming inside; bubbling from fermentation or carbonation; ADJ. effervescent; V. effervesce |
| effete | having lost one's original power; barren; worn out; exhausted |
| efficacy | power to produce desired effect; ADJ. efficacious: effectual |
| effigy | dummy; likeness of a person made of wood, paper, or stone; Ex. burn an effigy of the President |
| s dummy | imitation of a real object used as a substitute; effigy |
| n effluvium | noxious(harmful) smell |
| effrontery | rudeness without any sense of shame; shameless boldness; presumptousness; nerve; cheek |
| s effulgent | shining brightly; brilliant |
| effusion | pouring forth; unrestrained outpouring of feeling; V. effuse: pour out; ADJ. effusive: pouring forth; gushing |
| s gush | (of liquid) pour out in large quantities from a hole; make an excessive display of feeling (without true feeling); Ex. Blood gushed from the wound. |
| egoism | excessive interest in one's self; belief that one should be interested in one's self rather than in others; selfishness; ADJ. egoistic, egoistical |
| s ego | one's opinion of oneself; self-esteem |
| egotistical | egotistic; excessively self-centered(egocentric); self-important; conceited |
| s egotism | tendency to speak or write of oneself excessively; conceit; self-importance |
| egregious | notorious; conspicuously bad or shocking |
| n egress | exit; opening for going out; act of going out; OP. ingress |
| n ejaculation | exclamation; abrupt ejection (to discharge sperm); V. ejaculate |
| n elaboration | addition of details; intricacy |
| s elaborate | work out carefully; add more detail or information; ADJ. |
| elated | filled with excited joy and pride; overjoyed; in high spirits; joyful and proud; Ex. elated crowd; V. elate; N. elation |
| n elegy | poem or song expressing lamentation (for the dead); ADJ. elegiacal, elegiac |
| elicit | draw out fact or information (by discussion or from someone) |
| n elixir | cure-all; panacea; something invigorating |
| ellipsis | omission of words from a text; mark used to indicate an omission (when the meaning can be understood without them); PL. ellipses |
| elliptical | elliptic; oval; of an ellipse; containing an ellipsis; ambiguous either purposely or because key words have been left out |
| eloquence | expressiveness; persuasive speech; ADJ. eloquent: movingly expressive; expressing ideas well so that the hearers can be influeneced |
| elucidate | explain; make clear; clarify; enlighten; CF. lucid |
| elusive | evasive; not frank; baffling; hard to grasp, catch, or understand; V. elude: escape from; escape the understanding or grasp of; Ex. elude the hunter; Ex. His name eludes me. |
| n elysian | relating to paradise; blissful |
| s Elysium | place or condition of bliss |
| emaciated | thin and wasted (from hunger or illness) |
| emanate | issue forth; come out |
| emancipate | set free; liberate |
| embargo | ban on commerce or other activity |
| embark | commence; go on board a boat; begin a journey |
| embed(imbed) | enclose; place in something; fix firmly in a surrounding mass |
| embellish | adorn; ornament; enhance as a story (by adding fictitious details) |
| embezzlement | taking for one's own use in violation of trust; stealing (of money placed in one's care) |
| s emblazon | ornament richly (a shield or flag); N. emblazonment |
| s embody | give a bodily form to; incorporate; include |
| n emboss | produce a design in raised relief; decorate with a raised design |
| embrace | hug; clasp with the arms; adopt or espouse; accept readily; encircle; include; Ex. embrace the cause/socialism; Ex. all-embracing; CF. brace; CF. bracelet |
| s encircle | surround |
| embroider | decorate with needlework; ornament (a story) with fancy or fictitious details; embellish |
| embroil | throw into confusion; involve in strife, dispute, or quarrel; entangle; CF. imbroglio |
| embryonic | undeveloped; rudimentary; N. embryo: organism in the early stage of development |
| emend | correct (usually a text); N. emendation: correction of errors; improvement |
| n emetic | substance causing vomiting; ADJ. |
| n eminent | rising above others; high; lofty; distinguished; Ex. eminent position |
| emissary | agent (sent on a mission to represent another); messenger |
| emollient | soothing or softening remedy (for the skin); ADJ. |
| emolument | salary; payment for an office; compensation |
| n empathy | ability to identify with another's feelings, ideas, etc.; identification with and understanding of another's feelings; V. empathize; CF. sympathy |
| s compassion | sympathy for the suffering of others; ADJ. compassionate |
| empirical | based on experience |
| n emulate | imitate; rival; try to equal or excel (through imitation) |
| n enamored | in love; Ex. enamored of his own beauty; V. enamor: inspire with love |
| encipher | encode; convert a message into code; put into cipher |
| enclave | territory enclosed within an alien land |
| encomiastic | praising; eulogistic; N. encomium: very high praise; eulogy |
| encompass | surround; include; Ex. His activities encompass publishing and computers. |
| encroachment | gradual intrusion; Ex. I resent all these encroachments on my valuable time; V. encroach: take another's possessions or right gradually or stealthily; intrude; Ex. encroach on/upon |
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