The Big Book of Words You Should Know

by David Olsen

  elucidate (ee-LOO-si-date), verb

  To make clear; to explain or provide key information leading to a full understanding. Someone who elucidates an issue or problem throws light on it and clarifies it.

  What is behind Frank’s bizarre work habits is something only he can ELUCIDATE.

  emaciated (ee-MAY-shee-ay-tud), adjective

  Dangerously thin.

  Winston knew that not everyone would be willing to watch the footage he had shot of the EMACIATED bodies of the famine victims.

  empirical (imm-PEER-ih-kuhl), adjective

  Describes knowledge that is based on direct observation or practical experience.

  Phyllis failed her science class because her experiment was based on EMPIRICAL evidence rather than on scientific verification.

  emulsify (ih-MULL-sih-fie), verb

  The process of breaking up something into small pieces.

  Over several hours, your digestive system EMULSIFIES your meal into nutrients small enough for your body to absorb and use.

  enclave (ON-klayv), noun

  A small territory surrounded by a larger (and usually foreign) one; also, any secluded area.

  The garden, filled with fragrant flowers and a small, babbling fountain, was an ENCLAVE of serenity in the midst of the busy city.

  endemic (en-DEM-ik), adjective

  Indigenous; characteristic of a certain place, region, or populace. When something is widespread within an area—to the extent that it helps to characterize that area—we often say the thing is endemic to the area.

  Poverty in the mountain region was ENDEMIC; education was almost nonexistent.

  enigmatic (en-ig-MA-tick), adjective

  Reminiscent of an enigma; puzzling or perplexing. Enigmatic refers to the quality of being inexplicable or ambiguous.

  An ENIGMATIC scrawl across the title sheet was the only clue to the work’s authorship.

  enjoin (in-JOIN), verb

  To forbid someone from doing something. Also, to use authority to instruct someone to do something.

  The moviegoers were ENJOINED by the manager to stop talking during the film.

  enrapture (in-RAP-chur), verb

  To delight; to thrill or give pleasure to.

  The music of the symphony seemed to ENRAPTURE Olivia, who sat breathless and wide-eyed throughout the performance.

  entice (in-TICE), verb

  To tempt in a pleasing fashion; to attract or lure.

  The delicious aroma emanating from the bakeshop often ENTICES me to stop in and pick up a doughnut or muffin on my way to work.

  enunciate (ee-NUN-see-ate), verb

  To articulate or pronounce. To enunciate something is to set it forth systematically and lucidly.

  The ideas he ENUNCIATED were simple, implementable, and accepted by all.

  epicenter (EPP-ih-cent-uhr), noun

  This is the spot on the surface of the Earth directly above the site where an earthquake occurs, but—more generally—an epicenter is the focal point or origin of an activity, event, fad, etc.

  I wonder when it was that Seattle became the EPICENTER of gourmet coffee?

  epigram (EP-ih-gram), noun

  A short, witty saying or poem.

  Alexander Pope was famous for EPIGRAMS, but his body of work features much more profound efforts, as well.

  epoch (EP-uk), noun

  A particular time or era notable or significant in history.

  The first Apollo lunar landing marked the beginning of a new EPOCH for space travel.

  equilibrium (ee-kwuh-LIB-ree-um), noun

  Mental or emotional balance.

  Brenda’s EQUILIBRIUM went off-kilter when she dropped and broke all her groceries, the climax of a frustrating day.

  equinox (EK-wih-nox), noun

  The point in time when the sun crosses the equator, causing night and day to be of roughly equal length everywhere on earth.

  The vernal (or spring) EQUINOX generally occurs around March 21; the autumnal equinox, around September 22.

  equitable (EK-wih-tuh-bull), adjective

  Free from bias; just to all involved. (See, for comparison, the entry for equable.)

  The parties have reached what both sides believe to be an EQUITABLE settlement.

  ersatz (AIR-sats), noun

  An unconvincing substitute. That which is not “the real thing” is ersatz.

  If you think you can pass off that ERSATZ diamond as the real thing, you’re in for a surprise.

  erudite (AIR-yoo-dite), adjective

  Possessing extensive knowledge on a given subject; learned. An erudite person has received a thorough and well-rounded education.

  Borges is nothing if not ERUDITE; it is clear from his short stories that he is a man of immense learning.

  ethereal (uh-THEER-ee-ul), adjective

  Airy; light; more heavenly than earthly.

  Norman’s paintings had an ETHEREAL quality that gave Lynne an instant sense of peace.

  euphonious (you-PHONE-ee-uss), adjective

  Pleasing to the ear.

  The low, EUPHONIOUS thrumming of the crickets outside my window those summer nights always put me to sleep quickly.

  euphony (YOO-fub-nee), noun

  Harmonious language or sounds. One instance of euphony is pleasant-sounding, musical phrasing employed in speech or writing.

  There came a point when what mattered was not so much what the poet said, but the EUPHONY of his language.

  evanesce (ev-uh-NESS), verb

  To vanish or fade away gradually. The adjective form is “evanescent.”

  As twilight filled the valley, all signs of civilization began to EVANESCE.

  evince (ee-VINCE), verb

  To prove conclusively or demonstrate. To evince something is to show it clearly.

  You have not EVINCED a single one of the claims you put forward.

  eviscerate (ee-VIS-uh-rate), verb

  To disembowel; to remove the entrails of. Eviscerate is often used metaphorically to describe the process of cutting down or reducing something almost to nothing.

  Having EVISCERATED the novel’s key chapter, the censor was content to let the earlier exposition stand.

  exacerbate (ig-ZASS-ur-bate), verb

  To worsen or aggravate. To exacerbate something is to make it even more unpleasant or severe.

  You have only EXACERBATED the situation by lying about your activities that night.

  excise (ECK-size), verb

  To cut a passage from a text or, in general, to cut something out or off. As a noun, an excise denotes a tax placed on the manufacture and sale of certain items—like liquor or cigarettes—that are produced within a country.

  I went to the dermatologist and had that mole EXCISED.

  exhort (ig-ZORT), verb

  To urge or entreat; to plead with (usually in an attempt to warn or advise).

  The hostages EXHORTED their captors to give up, arguing that the authorities would deal more leniently with them if no one were hurt.

  existential (eggs-ih-STENCH-uhl), adjective

  Existentialism is a twentieth-century philosophy characterized by a belief in individuals making their own choices and finding their own meaning of life, while shunning faith in a higher being. The adjective derived from the philosophy describes periods when individuals question their choices, especially choices related to the meaning of life.

  While going through another horrible day at her boring office job, Phyllis had an EXISTENTIAL moment and decided—right then and there—to quit her job and move to a new town.

  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.

  expiate (ECK-spee-ate), verb

  To make amends or to atone for one’s actions.

  After a lifetime of working for a company known
for polluting local waterways, Dean EXPIATED his guilt by donating hundreds of acres of his property to various land conservancies.

  expunge (iks-PUNGE), verb

  To obliterate, remove, or mark for deletion.

  In exchange for her testimony against her former lover, the charges against Carrie were dropped and her record EXPUNGED of any connection to his crimes.

  extenuate (ik-STEN-yoo-ate), verb

  To reduce in seriousness, external aspect, or extent. To extenuate is to make a fault or error less grave.

  The trip was delayed, not because we dawdled, but because of EXTENUATING circumstances.

  extol (ex-TOLE), verb

  To praise highly.

  The principal EXTOLLED the hard work of the members of the honor society, detailing their many academic achievements for the assembly.

  extraneous (ex-TRAY-nee-uss), adjective

  Coming from the outside; not innate; foreign.

  Miles was a resourceful debater who deflected attacks from his opponents by raising EXTRANEOUS but inflammatory issues.

  exult (ig-ZULT), verb

  To celebrate or rejoice heartily.

  There was no EXULTING among the families of the victims, who greeted the verdict with a sense of solemn resolution.

  farce (farce), noun

  A comedy in which situation, satire, and preposterous coincidence are predominant over character; also, a ridiculous, empty display not worth serious consideration; a mockery.

  Although the proceedings were presented to the outside world as a fair trial, Roland knew that he was watching a FARCE in which all the principal witnesses had been bribed to help convict the defendant.

  fastidious (fuh-STID-ee-uss), adjective

  Attentive to detail or issues of propriety; hard to please. A fastidious person is meticulous, exacting, and sensitive to procedure.

  Carl, a FASTIDIOUS ledger-keeper, seemed destined to do well in the accounting department.

  fecund (FEE-kund), noun and adjective

  Fruitful or fertile; prolific.

  Although he certainly had a FECUND imagination, the screenwriter’s most successful efforts had been adaptations of the works of others.

  feign (fane), verb

  To fake or counterfeit; to pretend.

  Instinctively I knew the man was going to grab for my purse, but I thwarted his efforts by FEIGNING a heart attack, attracting the crowd’s attention.

  feint (faint), noun

  A false advance or attack intended to catch an opponent off guard.

  Jim FEINTED several times with his left before decking his opponent with a fierce right cross.

  felicitous (fih-LISS-ih-tuss), adjective

  Appropriate and well-suited for a particular occasion.

  The prince’s decision to go to the costume party dressed as a Nazi was not a FELICITOUS one.

  fervent (FER-vunt), adjective

  Ardent and enthusiastic. Literally, fervent means extremely hot. A fervent desire, then, is one that is strongly held.

  Russell’s speech was characterized by FERVENT emotion.

  festoon (feh-STOON), verb

  A festoon is a garland strung between two points, so “to festoon” means to decorate as with garlands.

  Balloons and banners FESTOONED the room, in preparation for my son’s birthday party.

  fetish (FETT-ish), noun

  Any object, idea, leader, etc. inspiring unquestioned awe and reverence. Often, this word is used negatively.

  “It sickens me,” Nora said, “how so many colleges have made a FETISH of high grades on standardized tests.”

  fiduciary (fih-DOO-she-air-ee), adjective

  Regarding trust and confidence in public affairs.

  The government has a FIDUCIARY responsibility to do the most good for the most people.

  flaccid (FLASS-id), adjective

  Lacking firmness, stiffness, vigor.

  After sitting out on the deli counter all day long, the celery stalks and leaves of lettuce looked FLACCID and unappealing.

  flaxen (FLAK-sun), adjective

  A pale yellow color.

  I’m not sure Mel would have admired Renee’s FLAXEN hair quite so much if he’ d known it was the result of a recent visit to the hair salon.

  fledgling (FLEJ-ling), adjective and noun

  Young or inexperienced. Literally, a fledgling is a young bird that has only recently gained the power of flight.

  The FLEDGLING reporter had little respect around the newsroom.

  flotilla (floe-TILL-uh), noun

  A fleet of ships, usually military vessels; also, any large group of moving objects.

  On the appointed evening, a massive FLOTILLA of Allied warships—the largest assembly of naval battle vessels in human history—steamed toward Normandy.

  flotsam (FLOT-sum), noun

  The debris from a shipwreck that floats on water or is washed ashore.

  When they collected and examined the FLOTSAM from the Intrepid, investigators found minute traces of dynamite that proved once and for all that the ship’s explosion was not the result of a faulty fuel line.

  flux (fluks), noun

  Ongoing flow. Flux can also refer to unceasing change.

  The organization’s plans were in a state of constant FLUX.

  fob (fob), verb

  To get rid of (usually by unscrupulous means).

  Don’t let him fool you; those “courtside” tickets he’s trying to FOB off on you at such a bargain price are counterfeit.

  foible (FOI-bull), noun

  Fault or character flaw. To say a person has a foible is to say he exhibits a flaw or failing that is comparatively insignificant.

  The tendency to remember only the pleasant occurrences in our past is a common human FOIBLE.

  foliate (FOAL-ee-ate), verb or adjective

  To bring forth leaves, to decorate with leaves or leafy patterns, or to shape something into thin sheets. As an adjective, the word is pronounced “FOAL-ee-uht,” and describes something covered with leaves or shaped like a leaf.

  Once Jill found the right combination of water and food, the dying plant began to FOLIATE with abandon.

  forge (forj), verb

  To form and mold metals or other materials by using intense heat; to expend effort for the purpose of creating something; to fuse or join two formerly disparate elements.

  By the end of the rigorous Outward Bound weekend, the friends had FORGED a bond that would last a lifetime.

  founder (FOUN-dur), verb

  To sink; to fail in an undertaking. (See, for comparison, the entry for flounder.)

  The new firm FOUNDERED because the promised investment capital never materialized.

  frenetic (fruh-NET-ik), verb

  Frantic; frenzied.

  I tried to avoid the FRENETIC Christmas rush by buying presents over the summer.

  freshet (FRESH-it), noun

  Either a stream of freshwater that runs into the sea or a quick rise in a body of water due to rain or melting snow.

  The quick spring thaw created FRESHETS throughout the county that threatened many homes.

  fugue (fyoog), noun

  A piece of music that builds up from a central theme.

  Many music enthusiasts find Bach’s FUGUES more hauntingly beautiful than his sonatas and cantatas.

  fulcrum (FUL-krum), noun

  The point of support on which a lever turns.

  To illustrate the function of a FULCRUM, Mr. Hess directed our attention to the window, where two children could be seen playing on a see-saw in the park.

  gadfly (GAD-fly), noun

  A fly that bites livestock; also, one who annoys, irritates, or provokes.

  With his constant grumbling and irritating habits, Morton has turned into the GADFLY of our department.

  galvanize (GAL-vuh-nize), verb

  To stimulate into action; to motivate (as if with an electric shock).

  After considerable national debate over the merits o
f entering into a “European war,” the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor GALVANIZED American public opinion as nothing else could.

  gambit (GAM-but), noun

  In chess, an opening in which a piece is sacrificed with the hope of gaining strategic advantage; also, any maneuver or plan calculated to gain advantage.

  Bill’s plan to get the inside track on the new position by dating the boss’s daughter was a risky and ill-conceived GAMBIT that ended in failure.

  gamesome (GAIM-sum), adjective

  Merry; frolicsome.

  It’s sad to see that Sally has become such a stick-in-the mud; as a young woman, she was so GAMESOME and full of high spirits.

  gamy (GAY-me), adjective

  Originally used to describe the tangy flavor and odor of wild game, the word gamy has branched out to have several meanings: lewd, spirited, and disgusting.

  It’s all in the context!

  After three hours of playing basketball, I feared my sweat-soaked gym clothes were more than a little GAMY.

  genre (ZHAWN-ruh), noun

  A particular style that characterizes a type of music, art, literature, film, etc.

  Though their GENRE doesn’t make for pleasant or easy reading, one has to admire muckrakers like Upton Sinclair, who aimed to bring about important social reforms with their novels.

  genteel (jen-TEEL), adjective

  Refined; conveying a sense of high style and/or respectability. Genteel is often meant to imply a sense of social superiority, as well.

  Tom’s vulgar remarks were not appreciated by his GENTEEL dining companions.

  gentrify (JENN-truh-fie), verb

  To take something rundown, such as a neighborhood, and improve it.

  The noun form, with which you may be familiar, is “gentrification.”

  Attempts to GENTRIFY the historic neighborhood failed because of community apathy.

  germane (jur-MAYN), adjective

  Pertinent; relevant; related to the matter at hand.

  The defendant’s exemplary qualities as a breadwinner are hardly GERMANE to the question of whether he shot his cousin, Your Honor.

  gerrymander (JARE-ee-man-dur), verb

  To divide voting districts in such a way as to give unfair advantage to a particular party.

  Senator Belger dismissed the charges of racist GERRYMANDERING that had been made against him as so much hogwash from opponents eager to draw the district maps to their own liking.

  gild (gild), verb