The Big Book of Words You Should Know Read online

  Speech or writing in praise of a person, typically used for a person who has recently died. Keep in mind that an ELEGY denotes a mournful poem, one not necessarily written for a particular person.

  Diane delivered a EULOGY for her uncle that managed to be simultaneously sad and heartwarming.

  euphemism (YOU-fuh-miz-um), noun

  A word or expression used as a substitute for one that may be considered offensive or distasteful.

  My Aunt Polly’s quaint EUPHEMISM for “toilet” was “ freshening-up room.”

  euphoria (yoo-FOR-ee-uh), noun

  A state of happiness and well-being that could be perceived by others as manic. The adjective form is “euphoric.”

  As the home team sank the three-pointer in the final seconds and won the game, EUPHORIA erupted in the bar.

  evade (ee-VADE), verb

  To sidestep or dodge; to flee from (a pursuer). (See, for comparison, the entry for avoid.)

  The fugitives EVADED the authorities for three months, but were finally apprehended near Scottsdale, Arizona.

  evasive (ee-VAY-siv), adjective

  Prone to hiding. Also: deliberately ambiguous in speech or response. An evasive answer is one that is meant to yield as little meaningful information to the questioner as possible.

  The defense attorney found the witness hostile and EVASIVE on the stand.

  evocative (ih-VOCK-uh-tive), adjective

  Describes something that tends to draw forth—or evoke—feelings, thoughts, responses, etc.

  Lydia’s perfume was EVOCATIVE of a spring day in the woods.

  evoke (ee-VOKE), verb

  To call forth or summon. To evoke is also to bring back to life through appeal to memory.

  The sight of the old mansion EVOKED many bittersweet memories for Charles.

  exalted (ig-ZALT), adjective

  Glorified or praised; held up high in honor.

  Colvin’s album earned the kind of EXALTED commendations usually reserved for major new works of literature.

  except (ek-SEPT), verb

  To exclude; also, to express opposition or disagreement to by means of argument. (See, for comparison, the listing for accept.)

  I want everyone we know to come to the dinner party, my old boyfriend EXCEPTED.

  excerpt (EK-surpt), noun

  To quote or reproduce a portion of a book, play, poem, etc.

  Although it may not have been his intention, the rock singer was helping to educate his young audience by using EXCERPTS from the sonnets of Shakespeare in his lyrics.

  exemplify (egg-ZEMP-lih-fie), verb

  To illustrate with an example or to serve as an example of something.

  Beethoven’s music EXEMPLIFIES both the heights of joy and the depths of despair.

  exert (ig-ZURT), verb

  To expend effort.

  “Please don’t EXERT yourself,” Alice sneered sarcastically to her husband Fred as he lay on the couch while she vacuumed.

  exfoliate (ecks-FOAL-ee-ate), verb

  To remove the surface of something—such as skin—in flakes or scales.

  Andrea’s skin is always perfect because she EXFOLIATES twice a day.

  exhilarated (ig-ZILL-uh-rate-ud), verb

  To make lively; to excite or energize.

  Those evening runs in the cool air of the spring were always EXHILARATING, especially after a day spent cooped up in a stuffy office.

  exhume (egg-ZYOOM), verb

  The primary meaning of “exhume” is to dig something up, such as a body or buried treasure. In addition, one can exhume anything by rescuing it from obscurity.

  The film’s soundtrack managed to EXHUME the career of the songwriter, who hadn’t had a hit in more than three decades.

  exodus (EX-uh-duss), noun

  A going out; a departure, particularly of a large group of people.

  After the film reel jammed for the third time, there was a mass EXODUS of angry patrons.

  exonerate (ig-ZON-uh-rate), verb

  To clear or free from blame or guilt; to restore (one’s reputation).

  After the charges were thrown out and Brian was completely EXONERATED, he was free to continue his work in the securities industry.

  expatriate (ecks-PAY-tree-it), noun

  Someone who chooses to leave his or her home country and to resettle in another. The word gained currency in the early twentieth century, when many American writers, musicians, and artists chose to leave America and settle in Europe.

  Even though she had lived in France for many years, Trudy never considered herself a true EXPATRIATE because her love for America remained so strong.

  expletive (EK-splih-tive), noun

  An exclamation, interjection, or profane oath. An expletive is also a “filler” word that holds a grammatical position but has no independent meaning, such as the word “it” in “It is imperative that you read this.”

  A shower of EXPLETIVES descended on the umpire from the stands.

  explicit (ik-SPLISS-it), adjective

  Detailed; revealing in full expression; emphatically stated.

  I felt that certain EXPLICIT scenes in Last Tango in Paris were not quite right for five-year-olds, and urged the twins to select a Barney videocassette instead.

  extrapolate (ik-STRAP-uh-late), verb

  To arrive at an estimate by examining unknown values. To extrapolate is to make a supposition or model based on shifting or tenuous information.

  While there were no eyewitnesses, we can EXTRAPOLATE the victim’s movements that night based on his past activities.

  exuberant (ig-ZOO-burr-uhnt), adjective

  Extremely enthusiastic.

  I was EXUBERANT about my unexpected holiday bonus.

  exurb (ECK-surb), noun

  A mostly self-contained community that lies well beyond a city’s suburbs and which is often inhabited by the wealthy or upper-middle class.

  I could track my family’s fortunes by our addresses. The lean years were spent in the city’s urban core. Then came a move to the suburbs. Finally, we hit the big time and relocated to an EXURB.

  facade (fuh-SOD), noun

  The ornamental front of a building; also, a false or misleading appearance; a contrived surface meant to deceive.

  Not many took the time to look beyond the FACADE of the burly, rough-hewn pig farmer to see the kind-hearted, gentle soul that resided deep inside Big Jim.

  facilitate (fuh-SILL-uh-tate), verb

  To help, to ease the way.

  My knowledge of Moroccan customs FACILITATED our team’s negotiations in that country.

  facsimile (fak-SIM-uh-lee), noun

  An exact copy, imitation, or reproduction.

  The centerpiece of Victor’s library was a FACSIMILE of the First Folio of the collected plays of Shakespeare.

  faction (FAK-shun), noun

  A group of persons united within an organization for a common purpose.

  The meetings of the board of directors were marked by perpetual squabbling between its two bitterly antagonistic FACTIONS.

  fajita (fuh-HEE-tuh), noun

  A soft flat tortilla shell filled with chicken or beef (or both) and assorted vegetables; Spanish in origin.

  This restaurant is famous for its FAJITAS, but I prefer the chimichangas myself.

  falafel (fuh-LOFF-ul), noun

  Fried food balls or patties consisting of spicy ground vegetables, such as fava beans or chick peas, originating in the Middle East.

  Moody’s in Central Square offers a delicious Middle Eastern dinner special featuring FALAFEL and lentil soup, for under $5.00.

  fallow (FAL-low), adjective

  Describing land: uncultivated; plowed but not seeded for a season or more in order to improve the soil. Also: not active or in use.

  Brenda’s creative forces have lain FALLOW since she completed that third novel of hers.

  falsetto (fal-SET-oh), noun

  A male singing voice higher than the normal range for tha
t voice. Also: a person who sings falsetto.

  Our soprano is home with the flu, so poor old Mike is going to have to sing FALSETTO.

  falter (FALL-tur), verb

  To hesitate, stumble, or waver; to move uncertainly.

  Stan had FALTERED so many times in his attempts to ask Julie for a date that his friends began to wonder whether he had ever contemplated simply giving up and becoming a monk.

  faze (faze), verb

  To bother; to disturb or annoy.

  We thought Seth would be angry when he found out Phillip was dating his old girlfriend, but the news didn’t seem to FAZE him a bit.

  feral (FEER-uhl), adjective

  Wild and uncontrolled (said especially of animals who were once domesticated). Feral can also mean “natural.”

  The islands of Hawaii suffer from a severe infestation of FERAL pigs not native to the area.

  ferment (furr-MENT), verb

  To cause agitation or excitement, typically in order to incite drastic change.

  High oil prices began to FERMENT efforts to find alternative fuel sources.

  ferret (FARE-ut), verb

  To drive or force out; to discover by forcing out.

  Colonel Gonzalez declared that he would take any measure necessary to FERRET the rebels out of the hillsides.

  fibrous (FIE-bruss), adjective

  Made up of fibers; sinewy; of or pertaining to something that can be separated into fibers.

  With horror I realized that the FIBROUS mass the dog was dragging through the rose bushes was my cashmere sweater—or what was left of it.

  fidelity (fih-DEL-ih-tee), noun

  Faithfulness to duties; observance of responsibilities. One maintains fidelity in marriage by honoring a vow of sexual faithfulness.

  The published book’s FIDELITY to the author’s original text is suspect.

  finesse (fih-NESS), verb

  Using subtle charm and style to resolve a problem; smooth, skillful maneuvering.

  David’s legendary ability to FINESSE his way out of any situation was taxed to the extreme when his wife returned early from a business trip and found him in the hot tub with his secretary.

  finis (fih-NEE), noun

  The end or conclusion; also, as an adjective: finished.

  Many people considered Mr. Clinton’s presidential campaign FINIS in the weeks before the New Hampshire primary.

  First Amendment (first uh-MEND-munt), noun

  An article of the United States Constitution guaranteeing citizens the right to freedom of speech and the free exercise of religion.

  A court order suppressing this story would be a blatant violation of our newspaper’s FIRST AMENDMENT rights.

  fissure (FISH-er), noun or verb

  A narrow opening produced by a crack or other form of accidental or purposeful separation. As a verb, “fissure” describes the act of splitting.

  The explosion was traced to a small FISSURE that had developed on the bottom of the fuel tank.

  fitful (FIT-fuhl), adjective

  Occurring irregularly or intermittently.

  I felt rotten in the morning, after a night of FITFUL sleep.

  fixate (FICK-sate), verb

  To focus one’s attention on, often to an alarming degree.

  Roy is getting too old to FIXATE on partying and casual relationships.

  flagrant (FLAY-grunt), adjective

  Obvious and very noticeable in a notorious or scandalous way.

  The fact that the referees let only one team get away with a series of FLAGRANT fouls caused many in the crowd to believe the game was fixed.

  flashback (FLASH-back), noun

  To interject a scene containing events from the past into a chronological series of present-day events; an instance of such a scene.

  Casablanca’s FLASHBACK scenes of the two lovers during their time in Paris give us a sense of the love they shared—and the magnitude of Rick’s loss.

  flashpoint (FLASH-point), noun

  Denotes either the site at which significant—typically violent—action has occurred or a place or situation that is likely to erupt in violence.

  The murder of the prime minister was a flashpoint for global warfare.

  flaunt (flont), verb

  To display (oneself or a possession) in an ostentatious way. Flaunt is often confused with flout (see flout below), but the words have completely different meanings.

  Mr. Miller’s habit of wearing many jewelled rings is one of the many ways he has found to FLAUNT his wealth.

  flimsy (FLIM-zee), adjective

  Lightweight; cheap; unsturdy; of poor quality.

  The department store circular advertised an amazing sale on bureaus, desks, and other furniture, but when we got to the store we found that all the items we were interested in were constructed from FLIMSY particleboard, not pine or oak.

  flounce (flownts), verb

  To move about with exaggerated motion or in a spasmodic manner.

  The actress flounced about as she entered the premiere with her entourage.

  flounder (FLOWN-dur), verb

  To struggle clumsily. (See, for comparison, the entry for founder.) Also: a fish.

  My FLOUNDERING efforts to open the door while holding five packages were the object of some amusement to my roommate, but he did not offer to relieve me of any of them.

  flout (flowt), verb

  To brazenly or openly break a law, regulation, or tradition. Flout is often confused with flaunt (see flaunt above), but the words have completely different meanings.

  To begin the baseball game without singing the national anthem would be to FLOUT a tradition of more than a century.

  fluctuate (FLUK-choo-ate), verb

  To waver between one thing and another; to change or shift back and forth constantly.

  The dietitian said we should not worry if our weight FLUCTUATED between two and five pounds in either direction of our goal as long as we were able to maintain a weight in that range.

  flue (floo), noun

  A duct or tube used for the passage of smoke.

  David vowed to spend Christmas Eve staring up the FLUE so he could alert the family the moment Santa arrived, but he fell asleep after only a short time at his post.

  fluency (FLOO-un-see), noun

  Ready and unhindered expression.

  Alice’s FLUENCY in Spanish proved a real advantage during our trip to Mexico.

  flummox (FLUHM-ucks), verb

  To completely bewilder or confuse.

  No matter how much I study, mathematics continues to FLUMMOX me.

  foist (foist), verb

  To pawn off (something undesirable). To foist something on someone is to assign it or pass it along to him despite his wishes.

  This project was FOISTED on us because everyone believed it was impossible, and because we were considered the worst department in the organization.

  forage (FOR-uj), verb

  To search or hunt for food and provisions.

  I awoke just in time to find the dog FORAGING in our picnic basket.

  forcible (FORCE-ih-bul), adjective

  Powerful; using force to achieve a goal.

  The editors of the campus paper were shocked at the campus police’s FORCIBLE entry into their offices.

  formidable (FOR-mih-duh-bull), adjective

  Capable of inspiring fear or respect. Something that is formidable is challenging or difficult to overcome.

  Alfred faced a FORMIDABLE opponent; he knew he had to plan carefully.

  formulaic (form-you-LAY-ick), adjective

  Made according to a formula, usually used in a negative way.

  John stopped watching television because he was fed up with the FORMULAIC junk networks palmed off as “entertainment.”

  forsake (for-SAKE), verb

  To abandon.

  Emily has FORSAKEN California for an island in the Indian Ocean.

  forum (FOR-um), noun

  A gathering, meeting, or program
held for the purpose of discussing matters of public or common concern.

  “Although I am sure your neighbor’s constantly barking dog is irritating, Mrs. Wakefield,” the chairman intoned, “the purpose of this FORUM is to discuss the proposed waste site.”

  foyer (FOY-ur), noun

  Hall; vestibule; entryway; a lobby (as in a theater or hotel).

  “If the FOYER is any indication of what I’ ll find on the upper floors,” I thought to myself, “my new office is going to be a real dump.”

  fraught (frot), adjective

  Loaded or filled with; accompanied by; involving.

  Buck accepted the task, although he knew it was FRAUGHT with peril.

  frenzy (FREN-zee), noun

  A state of wild excitement; extreme emotional or mental agitation.

  What with studying for the bar exam and planning her wedding, Sara had been in an almost constant FRENZY for nearly two months.

  frivolity (frih-VOL-ih-tee), noun

  Unworthy of serious note; insubstantial. To engage in frivolity is to behave in a lighthearted or even ludicrous way.

  We have no time for FRIVOLITY; tomorrow morning, the manager is coming.

  fruition (froo-ISH-un), noun

  That which has arisen from development, possession, use, or effort. The achievement of something desired or labored for is the fruition of that deed.

  The novel was, in a sense, the FRUITION of a lifetime of work for Melville.

  funereal (fyoo-NIR-ee-uhl), adjective

  Reminiscent of a funeral. That which is dark, brooding, and mournful is funereal.

  The FUNEREAL tone of the meeting was not at all what we had in mind to raise morale.

  furlough (FUR-low), noun

  A leave of absence, especially for a member of the armed forces; the act of granting this leave.

  During his FURLOUGH Dan concentrated on finding a job in the private sector, as he was scheduled to be discharged from the Navy in three months.

  furor (FYOOR-ur), noun

  Widespread excitement or anger; fury or uproar among persons or institutions.

  Governor White’s indictment for embezzlement caused a FUROR in the state.

  furrow (FUR-oh), noun or verb

  A furrow is a narrow groove in the ground, such as one formed by a plow. Thus, one furrows when one creates grooves or wrinkles in something.

  I could tell mom didn’t believe my story as she began to FURROW her brow.

  furtive (FUR-tiv), adjective

  Stealthy. That which is surreptitious or sly is furtive.