| |
| fabricate |
build; lie; make up (a story) in order to deceive;
Ex. fabricate the whole story; CF. fabric: underlying
structure; Ex. fabric of society |
| facade(fa\c{c}ade) |
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. facile solution to a complex problem; Ex.
facile speaker; N. facility: ability to do something easily
and well; ease in doing resulting from skill or aptitude;
something that facil |
| 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 |
| fake |
not genuine; N: one that is not genuine; impostor;
sham; V: counterfeit; Ex. fake the results of the experiment/the
signature |
| 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 |
| fallow |
(of land) plowed but not sowed (to improve the quality);
uncultivated |
| falsify |
make (something written) false by changing |
| 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 |
| far-fetched |
too improbable to be believed; implausible; Ex. far-fetched
story |
| fashion |
give shape to; make; Ex. fashion the pot out of clay |
| 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 |
| favoritism |
display of partiality toward a favored person |
| 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 |
| feature |
distinctive part of the faces (as the eyes or mouth);
features: overall appearance of the face; prominent or
distinctive quality; prominent article; film; V: make
prominent |
| febrile |
feverish |
| fecundity |
fertility; fruitfulness; ADJ. fecund: very productive
of crops or young |
| feebleminded |
deficient in intelligence; very stupid |
| 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 |
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 |
| ferocious |
fierce; violent; N. ferocity |
| 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 |
| fertile |
producing many young, fruits, or seeds; (of land) producing
good crops; V. fertilize |
| 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(f\^ete) |
honor at a festival; celebrate or honor with a feast;
N. (outdoor) festival or feast; CF. feast |
| fetid(foetid) |
malodorous; 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 |
| feud |
bitter prolonged quarrel (usually between two peoples
or families); V. CF. Romeo and Juliet; CF. feudal, feudalism |
| 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 |
| fiend |
evil spirit; devil |
| 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; app |
| 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 |
| filigree |
delicate ornamental lacelike metalwork |
| filing |
particle removed by a file |
| filth |
dirty matter; ADJ. filthy |
| finale |
conclusion; concluding part |
| finery |
beautiful clothes for a special occasion |
| 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 |
| finish |
surface texture; completeness of execution |
| finished |
properly made and complete; Ex. finished product/performance |
| finite |
limited |
| firebrand |
piece of burning wood; hothead; troublemaker; person
who stirs up trouble |
| fissure |
crevice; crack |
| fit |
sudden outburst of an illness or feeling; convulsion
caused by epilepsy |
| fitful |
spasmodic; intermittent; irregular |
| 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 |
| flashy |
showy; gaudy; giving a momentary brilliance |
| 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 |
| fleet |
fast; rapid; N. ADJ. fleeting: passing quickly; ephemeral |
| 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 |
| flighty |
(esp. of a woman's behavior) capricious; often changing,
esp. from one lover to another; impulsive |
| flinch |
hesitate; shrink back (in fear of something unpleasant);
Ex. She did not flinch in the face of danger. |
| flip |
send (something) spinning, often into the air, by striking
with a light quick blow; turn over; Ex. flip over |
| flippant |
lacking proper seriousness; Ex. flippant remarks about
death; N. flippancy |
| flirt |
behave in a way that attracts (sexual) attention; deal
triflingly with; N: one (or woman) given to flirting;
ADJ. flirtatious |
| 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 |
| flotsam |
drifting wreckage |
| flounder |
struggle and thrash about; proceed clumsily or falter
(as in water, mud, snow, etc.); proceed in confusion |
| 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 |
| flowery |
full of flowers; full of ornate expressions |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| flutter |
(of a bird with large wings) wave (the wings) lightly,
rapidly, and irregularly; vibrate rapidly or erratically;
fly by waving quickly; flitter; N. |
| 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 |
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 |
| forerunner |
predecessor; one that comes before and indicates the
approach of another |
| foreshadow |
give an indication beforehand; be a sign of (what is
coming); portend; prefigure |
| 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 |
| forthcoming |
happening in the near future; ready; willing to help;
Ex. No answer was forthcoming. |
| forthright |
straightforward; direct; frank |
| fortitude |
bravery; courage; strength of mind |
| fortuitous |
accidental; by chance; N. fortuity |
| forum |
public square of an ancient Roman city; public place
for open discussion; court of law |
| forward |
presumptuous or bold |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| freebooter |
pirate or plunderer who makes war in order to grow
rich |
| 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 |
| fringe |
decorative edge of hanging threads; edge |
| frisk |
move about playfully; froric; ADJ. frisky: playful |
| fritter |
waste (time or money on unimportant things) |
| frivolous |
lacking in seriousness; flippant; self-indulgently
carefree; unworthy of serious attention; relatively unimportant;
trivial |
| frock |
long loose garment (worn by monks) |
| frolic |
play and jump about happily; frisk; Ex. frolicking
young lambs |
| frolicsome |
prankish; gay; playful; merry; frisky |
| frond |
fern leaf; palm or banana leaf |
| fructify |
bear fruit; produce fruit |
| frugality |
thrift; economy; ADJ. frugal: practicing economy; costing
little; inexpensive |
| fruitful |
producing results; profitable; prolific; producing
in abundance |
| fruition |
bearing of fruit; fulfillment; realization; Ex. come
to/be brought to fruition |
| frustrate |
thwart; defeat; prevent from accomplishing a purpose |
| fuddle |
make stupid or confused as with alcholic drink; N.
in a fuddle: confused |
| 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.
fulsome 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. |
| functional |
made for practical use only (without decoration); functioning;
Ex. functional modern furniture; CF. functionalism |
| functionary |
official (who performs a particular function) |
| fundamental |
basic; primary; essential |
| funereal |
sad; solemn; suitable for a funeral |
| furor |
frenzy; great anger and excitement; CF. fury |
| furrow |
long shallow trench made by a plow; deep wrinkle in
the skin; V. |
| furtive |
stealthy; quiet and secret (trying to escape notice);
sneaky; Ex. furtive glance |
| fusillade |
simultaneous firing or outburst (of missiles, questions,
etc.) |
| fusion |
union; coalition; V. fuse |
| 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 |
| fussy |
fastidious; finicky; easily upset |
| futile |
useless; hopeless; ineffectual |
