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