Toefl Vocabulary E-F-G
E
ECCLESIASTIC (adj.): Pertaining to the clergy or the church - recognized as an authority in ecclesiastic matters. Antonyms: secular, lay
(noun): A clergyman - an ecclesiastic of liberal views.
EDICT: A public command or proclamation issued by an authority - proclaimed by royal edict.
Synonym: decree
EDIFY: To instruct or uplift, particularly in morals or religion - a story that edifiesthe reader, as well as entertains him
EFFETE: No longer productive; hence, lacking in or, worn out - powerful in ancient days, now an effetecivilization.
EGOTISTIC: Conceited - an egotisticperson, flourishing on praise.
Synonyms: egocentric, vain
Antonym: altruistic
EGREGIOUS: Outstandingly bad an egregiousmistake with serious implications.
EJACULATE: To exclaim or utter suddenly - ejaculateda cry of horror.
ELICIT: To draw out - elicitedno response from the audience.
Synonyms: evoke, extract, extort
ELUCIDATE: To make clear; to explain - elucidatedhis theory so that even a schoolboy could understand it.
Synonym: clarify
EMISSARY: A person sent on an errand or mission - delegated his emissary to conclude a pact.
ENGENDER: To cause, produce, or stir up-an act that engenderedgood will.
ENNUI: Boredom; weariness of mind-fell asleep at the meeting from sheer ennui.
ENSUE: To follow or result-Silence ensuedwhen the leader arose to speak.
ENTREAT: To beg earnestly - entreatedthe judge to show mercy.
Synonyms: solicit, supplicate, beseech, implore, importune;
(adj.) importunate, mendicant, suppliant
EPHEMERAL: Very short-lived - an ephemeraljoy, lasting but a day.
Synonyms: fleeting, transitory, transient, evanescent
Antonym: eternal
EPICUREAN (noun): A person devoted to luxurious living and pleasure - an epicurean, seeking to enjoy every meal.
(adj.): Pleasure-loving - His entire existence demonstrated his epicureantastes.
EPIGRAM: A brief pointed saying - a speech full of original epigrams.
Synonyms: maxim proverb, adage
EPITAPH: A tombstone inscription - an epitaphengraved on marble.
EPITHET: A phrase that describes a quality (good or bad) in a person or thing - "Glaring" error is a commonly usedepithet.
Synonyms: characterization , appellation
EQUANIMITY (adj.: EQUABLE): Evenness of temper or mind - suffered his cruel fate with equanimity.
Synonyms: serenity, composure, imperturbability, aplomb
ERR (noun: ERRATUM): To be mistaken or go astray - To err is human, to forgive divine.
Synonyms: stray, blunder
ERRATIC: Irresponsible, eccentric; lacking a fixed purpose erratic behavior, reflecting his queer ideas.
ERUDITE: Learned - an erudite person, an editor of many books.
Synonyms: scholarly , knowing
ESOTERIC: Understood by only a select few - an esoteric subject, discussed only by scholars.
Synonyms: abstruse, recondite
EXCEPTIONABLE: Objectionable - exceptionable behavior, universally criticized.
Synonyms: questionable, reprehensible, censurable
Antonym: laudable
EXCULPATE: To free from blame - exculpated by a jury.
Synonyms: vindicate, exonerate, absolve, acquit
Antonyms: arraign, indict, inculpate
EXEMPLARY (noun: EXEMPLAR): Serving as a model; commendable - exemplary conduct approved by all.
Synonyms: illustrative, typical; praiseworthy, laudable
EXODUS: Departure, emigration - the pathetic exodus of refugees from their homeland.
EXOTIC: Strange and foreign - an exotic costume imported from Asia.
EXPATIATE: To speak or write at great length - He expatiated on the subject for two hours.
Synonym: dilate
EXPATRIATE (verb): To banish or exile; to withdraw from one's country - expatriated for treachery to his country.
(noun): An expatriated person - expatriates who left the United States to live in Paris.
EXPEDIENT (adj.): Convenient in helping to attain some purpose - found it expedient to maintain silence at that moment.
Synonyms: opportune, seasonable
(noun): A means to accomplish something - tried all expedients to achieve a quick result.
EXPLOIT (verb): To use for one's selfish purpose – refugees exploited by unscrupulous employers.
(noun): A brilliant deed - lauded for his exploits in science.
Synonym: feat
EXPOUND (noun: EXPOSITION): To set forth in detail; to explain - expounded his theory in a learned article.
EXPURGATE: To purify (usually a piece of writing) of offensive material - expurgate all obscenities before the book could be sold.
Synonyms: purge, delete
EXTEMPORANEOUS: Done or spoken on the spur of the moment or without preparation - an extemporaneousspeech.
Synonyms: impromptu, offhand
EXTINCT: No longer existing or active - the extinct dinosaur, alive only in history.
Synonym: defunct
Antonym: extant
EXTIRPATE: To root out, destroy totally - extirpated the cause of trouble.
Synonyms: eradicate, exterminate, efface, obliterate
EXTRANEOUS. Not essential; foreign; irrelevant - excluded material extraneous to the subject.
Synonyms: extrinsic, adventitious
Antonyms: germane, intrinsic, inherent, relevant, pertinent
EXULTATION: Great rejoicing - received the good news with exultation.
Synonym: jubilation
F
FACADE: Front or face, especially of a building - a facade of marble.
FACETIOUS: Given to joking or inappropriate gaiety; said in fun - brightened the evening with his facetiousremarks.
Synonyms: jocose, droll, flippant, frivolous
Antonyms: solemn, grave, saturnine
FALLACIOUS (noun: FALLACY): Unsound; misleading; deceptive - led astray by fallacious reasoning and plans.
FALLIBLE: Liable to make mistakes or be deceived - Being human, Tom was naturally fallible.
Antonyms: infallible, unerring
FATHOM: To penetrate and understand - difficult to fathom his mysterious actions.
FATUOUS: Foolish; silly - a fatuous suggestion that struck us as stupid.
Synonyms: inane, vacuous, puerile
Antonyms: judicious, sagacious, sage
FEALTY: Faithfulness - The soldiers were pledged to fealty to their ruler.
Synonyms: allegiance, constancy, fidelity
Antonyms: disloyalty; infidelity, treachery
FEASIBLE: Workable - a feasible plan, proved practical by - previous experience.
Antonym: impracticable
FEIGN (noun: FEINT): To pretend - He feigned to be angry, but we saw through his pretense.
Synonyms: dissemble, sham, dissimulate, affect
FELICITY (adj.: FELICITOUS):
(1) A state of happiness - promoted felicity in the nation.
Synonym: bliss
(2) A high ability - lie has a felicity of language, mastery of the well-chosen phrase.
FERVID: Spirited; ardent - a fervid debater, full of emotion.
Synonyms: perfervid, impassioned, zealous, fervent, vehement
FESTOON (noun): A garland of flowers, leaves, etc. hung between two points - the room bright with festoons of Thanksgiving decorations.
(verb): To hang with festoons - a room festooned with spring flowers.
FETISH.
(1) Something that is believed to have magical powers - savages worshipping the fetish in a ceremonial dance.
Synonym: charm, talisman, amulet
(2) An object of unreasoning devotion and worship – Photography, begun as a hobby, became a fetish.
FIASCO: A ludicrous and complete failure - all his glorious plans ending in a fiasco.
Synonym: debacle
FICTITIOUS: Unreal; made-up - used a fictitious name to avoid being recognized.
Synonym: fabricated
FLACCID: Lacking firmness - muscles grown flaccid after the illness.
Synonyms: flabby, limp
FLAGRANT: Outstandingly bad - condemned for his flagrant abuse of power.
Synonyms: glaring, scandalous, notorious, conspicuous, gross
FLAMBOYANT: Elaborately showy - written in a flamboyant, style, full of highly decorative imagery.
Synonyms: florid, ornate, resplendent, embellished, garish, gaudy, gorgeous, rococo
Antonym: somber
FLAUNT: Display or wave boastfully - flaunted the excellent report before his delighted parents.
FLEETING: Passing swiftly -the fleeting hours of happiness
Synonyms: transitory, fugitive
FLUCTUATE: To waver from one course to another; to vary irregularly - his mood fluctuating with every hour.
Synonyms: oscillate, vacillate, undulate, sway
FORBEAR (noun: FORBEARANCE): To exercise self control; to keep from - forbearing to shoot the animal despite temptation.
Synonyms: restrain, abstain
FORENSIC: Pertaining to public discussion or law courts - a lawyer gifted in forensic debate.
Synonyms: rhetorical, oratorical
FORTUITOUS: Accidental - a fortuitous meeting with a friend in need.
Synonyms: casual, incidental, adventitious, random
FRACAS: A disorderly quarrel - A fracas broke up the meeting.
Synonyms: brawl, altercation, fray, wrangle, imbroglio
FRUSTRATE: To prevent (the attainment of an object); to defeat or render ineffectual - His scholastic progress wasfrustrated by a serious illness.
Synonyms: balk, thwart, foil, baffle, obstruct, discomfit
Antonym: abet
FULSOME: Disgustingly excessive - nauseated by fulsome praise.
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GARNISH: To trim or decorate - dishes garnished attractively with greens.
Synonyms: adorn, deck
GENEALOGY: A record of a person's or a family's ancestors or relatives - an interesting genealogy, including saints and sinners.
Synonym: lineage
GENESIS: Origin - chemistry, which had its genesis in alchemy.
Synonym: inception
GESTICULATE: To make gestures, or indicate feelings by. motions - gesticulated wildly to show his distress.
GHASTLY: Horrible, deathlike - a ghastly disaster which shocked the world.
Synonyms: gruesome, grisly, pallid, macabre, grim, lurid
GIBE (variant spelling: JIBE): To laugh at; to utter with scorn - gibed at his enemy mercilessly.
Synonyms: mock, sneer, jeer, scoff, flout, deride (adj.: derisive), rail, taunt
GLIB: Smooth-spoken, fluent - a glib liar, distorting the truth effortlessly.
GLUTTONOUS (noun. GLUTTON; verb: GLUT): Inclined to cat to excess - gulped down his food in gluttonousfashion.
Synonyms:voracious, intemperate
GOSSAMER (noun): A very thin gauzelike fabric or structure - a poem so delicate that it seemed an unrealgossamer.
(adj.): Thin and light - the gossamer wings of a dragon fly.
Synonyms: diaphanous, flimsy, gauzelike Antonyms: substantial, ponderous
GREGARIOUS: Habitually fond of associating in a company or herd - gregarious sheep; that gregarious animal, man.
Antonyms:lone, aloof
GRIMACE: A distortion of the face to express an attitude or feeling - a grimace that was more expressive than words