E - WORDS

Description:	E - WORDS GMAT
Category:	GMAT
Created by:	Alex Moscow on 2008-09-16

Word	Meaning	Example
Ebullience	(n.) an overflowing of high spirits; effervescence	She emanated ebullience as she skipped and sang down the hallway after learning of her promotion.
Eccentric	(adj.) odd; peculiar; strange	People like to talk with the eccentric artist since he has such different views on everyday subjects. Wearing polka dot pants and a necklace made of recycled bottle tops is considered eccentric.
Ecclesiastic	(adj.) pertaining or relating to a church	Ecclesiastic obligations include attending mass.
Eclectic	(adj.) picking from various possibilities; made up of material from various sources	You have eclectic taste. The eclectic collection of furniture did not match.
Economical	(adj.) not wasteful; thrifty	With her economical sense she was able to save the company thousands of dollars.
Edifice	(n.) a large building	The edifice rose 20 stories and spanned two blocks.
Edify	(v.) to build or establish; to instruct and improve the mind	According to their schedule, the construction company will edify the foundation of the building in one week. The teachers worked to edify their students through lessons and discussion.
Educe	(v.) to draw out; to infer from information	Because she is so dour, I was forced to educe a response. I educe from the report that the experiment was a success.
Efface	(v.) to erase; to make inconspicuous	Hiding in the woods, the soldier was effaced by his camouflage uniform.
Effeminate	(adj.) having qualities attributed to a woman; delicate	A high-pitched laugh made the man seem effeminate.
Effervescence	(n.) liveliness; spirit; enthusiasm; bubbliness	Her effervescence was contagious; she made everyone around her happy. The effervescence of champagne is what makes it different from wine.
Effigy	(n.) the image or likeness of a person	Demonstrators carried effigies of the dictator they wanted overthrown.
Effluvium	(n.) an outflow of vapor of invisible particles; a noxious odor	The effluvium from the exhaust had a bad smell. It was difficult to determine from where the effluvium issued.
Effrontery	(n.) arrogance	The effrontery of the young man was offensive.
Effusive	(adj.) pouring out or forth; overflowing	The effusive currents rush through the broken dam.
Egocentric	(adj.) self-centered, viewing everything in relation to oneself	The egocentric professor could not accept the students' opinions as valid.
Egress	(n.) a way out; exit	The doorway provided an egress from the chamber.
Elaboration	(n.) act of clarifying; adding details	The mayor called for an elaboration on the ordinance's first draft.
Elegy	(n.) a poem of lament and praise for the dead	Upon conclusion of the elegy, the casket was closed.
Ellipsis	(n.) omission of words that would make the meaning clear	The accidental ellipsis confused all those who heard the speech.
Eloquence	(n.) the ability to speak well	The speaker's eloquence was attributed to his articulate manner of speaking.
Elucidate	(v.) to make clear; to explain	In the paper's conclusion, its purpose was elucidated in one sentence.
Elusive	(adj.) hard to catch	Even the experienced, old fisherman admitted that the trout in the river were quite elusive.
Emanate	(v.) to emit	Happiness emanates from the loving home.
Embarkation	(v.) to engage or invest in	The embarkation into self-employment was a new start for the woman.
Embellish	(v.) to improve by adding details	Adding beads to a garment will embellish it.
Eminence	(n.) a lofty place; superiority	After toiling in the shadows for years, at last she achieved eminence. The eminence of the institution can be seen in the impact of its research.
Emollient	(adj.) softening or soothing to the skin; having power to soften or relax living tissues	When hands become dry, it may be necessary to soothe them with an emollient lotion.
Emulate	(v.) to try to equal or excel	The neophyte teacher was hoping to emulate her mentor.
Enamored	(adj.) filled with love and desire	The young couple are enamored with each other.
Encomium	(n.) formal expression of high praise	The sitcom actress gave her co-stars a long encomium as she accepted her Emmy.
Encroach	(v.) to trespass or intrude	It is unlawful to encroach on another's private property.
Encumber	(v.) to hold back; to hinder; to burden, load down	The review of the ethic's committee encumbered the deal from being finalized. A brace will encumber the girl's movement.
Endemic	(adj.) native to a particular area; constantly present in a particular country or locality	The endemic fauna was of great interest to the anthropologist. A fast-paced style is endemic to those who live in New York City.
Endorse	(v.) support; to approve of; recommend	The entire community endorsed the politician who promised lower taxes and a better school system.
Enervate	(v.) to weaken; to deprive of nerve or strength	The sickness enervates its victims until they can no longer get out of bed.
Enfeeble	(v.) to make weak	The illness will enfeeble anyone who catches it.
Enfranchised	(v.) to free from obligation; to admit to citizenship	The player was enfranchised when the deal was called off. The recent immigrants were enfranchised when they took their oath to their new country.
Engender	(v.) to bring about; beget; to bring forth	The group attempted to engender changes to the law.
Enhance	(v.) to improve; compliment; make more attractive	The new fuel enhanced the performance of the rocket's engines.
Enigma	(n.) mystery; secret; perplexity	To all of the searchers, the missing child's location remained a great enigma.
Enigmatic	(adj.) baffling	The enigmatic murder plagued the detective.
Ennui	(n.) boredom; apathy	Ennui set in when the children realized they had already played with all the toys.
Eon	(n.) an indefinitely long period of time	The star may have existed for eons.
Ephemeral	(adj.) very short-lived; lasting only a short time	Living alone gave him an ephemeral happiness, soon to be replaced with utter loneliness.
Epicure	(n.) a person who has good taste in food and drink	As an epicure, Lance is choosy about the restaurants he visits.
Epigram	(n.) a witty or satirical poem or statement	The poet wrote an epigram about the upcoming election.
Epilogue	(n.) closing section of a play or novel providing further comment.	The epilogue told us the destiny of the characters.
Epiphany	(n.) an appearance of a supernatural being	The man bowed to the epiphany.
Epitaph	(n.) an inscription on a monument; in honor or memory of a dead person	The epitaph described the actions of a brave man.
Epitome	(n.) model; typification; representation	The woman chosen to lead the dancers was the epitome of true grace.
Equanimity	(n.) the quality of remaining calm and undisturbed	Equanimity can be reached when stress is removed from life.
Equinox	(n.) precise time when day and night is of equal length	On the equinox we had twelve hours of night and day.
Equivocal	(adj.) doubtful; uncertain	Scientific evidence was needed before the equivocal hypothesis was accepted by the doubting researchers.
Equivocations	(n.) a purposely misleading statement	The equivocations by the man sent the search team looking in the wrong direction.
Eradication	(n.) the act of annihilating, destroying, or erasing	Some have theorized that the eradication of the dinosaurs was due to a radical change in climate.
Errant	(adj.) roving in search of adventure	The young man set out across country on an errant expedition.
Erratic	(adj.) unpredictable; irregular	His erratic behavior was attributed to the shocking news he had received. The kitten's erratic behavior was attributed to the owner's cruel method of disciplining his pet.
Erroneous	(adj.) untrue; inaccurate; not correct	The reporter's erroneous story was corrected by a new article that stated the truth.
Erudite	(adj.) having a wide knowledge acquired through reading	The woman was so erudite, she could recite points on most any subject.
Eschew	(v.) to shun; to avoid	Eschew the traffic and you may arrive on time.
Esoteric	(adj.) understood by only a chosen few; confidential	The esoteric language was only known by the select group. We have had a number of esoteric conversations.
Estimable	(adj.) deserving respect	The estimable hero was given a parade.
Ethereal	(adj.) very light; airy; heavenly; not earthly	The ethereal quality of the music had a hypnotic effect. The dancer wore an ethereal outfit which made her look like an angel.
Ethnic	(adj.) pertaining to races or peoples and their origin classification, or characteristics	Ethnic foods from five continents were set up on the table.
Eulogy	(n.) words of praise, especially for the dead	The eulogy was a remembrance of the good things the man accomplished in his lifetime.
Euphemism	(n.) the use of a word or phrase in place of one that is distasteful	The announcer used a euphemism when he wanted to complain.
Euphony	(n.) pleasant combination of sounds	The gently singing birds created a beautiful euphony. The euphony created by the orchestra was due to years of practice.
Evanescent	(adj.) vanishing quickly; dissipating like a vapor	The evanescent mirage could only be seen at a certain angle.
Evasion	(n.) the avoiding of a duty	The company was charged with tax evasion, as they did not pay all that they owed.
Evoke	(v.) to call forth; provoke	Seeing her only daughter get married evoked tears of happiness from the mother. Announcement of the results evoked a cheer from the crowd.
Exculpate	(v.) to free from guilt	The therapy session will exculpate the man from his guilty feelings.
Execute	(v.) to put to death; kill; to carry out; fulfill	The evil, murderous man was executed for killing several innocent children. I expected him to execute my orders immediately.
Exemplary	(adj.) serving as an example; outstanding	The honor student's exemplary behavior made him a role model to the younger children. Employees of the month are chosen for their exemplary service to the firm.
Exhaustive	(adj.) thorough; complete	It took an exhaustive effort, using many construction workers, to complete the new home by the deadline.
Exhume	(v.) to unearth; to reveal	The scientists exhumed the body from the grave to test the body's DNA. The next episode will exhume the real betrayer.
Exigent	(adj.) a situation calling for immediate attention; needing more than is reasonable	The exigent request for more assistance was answered quickly. The bank seemed to feel that another extension on their loan payment
Exonerate	(v.) to declare or prove blameless	Hopefully, the judge will exonerate you of any wrongdoing.
Exorbitant	(adj.) going beyond what is reasonable; excessive	Paying hundreds of dollars for the dress is an exorbitant amount.
Exotic	(adj.) unusual; striking; foreign	Many people asked the name of her exotic perfume. The menu of authentic Turkish cuisine seemed exotic to them, considering they were only accustomed to American food.
Expedient	(adj.) convenient in obtaining a result; guided by self-interest	The mayor chose the more expedient path rather than the more correct one. There is no expedient method a teenager will not resort to in order to get the keys to a car of their own.
Expedite	(v.) to hasten the action of	We can expedite the bank transaction if we tell them it is an emergency.
Explicit	(adj.) specific; definite	The explicit recipe gave directions for making a very complicated dessert.
Exposition	(n.) setting forth facts	The exposition by the witness substantiated the story given by the prisoner.
Expunge	(v.) to blot out; to delete	Bleach may be used to expunge the stain.
Extant	(adj.) existing; refers especially to books or documents	Some of my ancestor's letters remain extant.
Extemporize	(v.) to improvise; to make it up as you go along	It was necessary for the musician to extemporize when his music fell off the stand.
Extol	(v.) to give great praise	The father will extol the success of his son to everyone he meets.
Extraneous	(adj.) irrelevant; not related; not essential	During the long, boring lecture, most people agreed that much of the information was extraneous.
Extricable	(adj.) capable of being disentangled	The knots were complicated, but extricable.
Exultation	(n.) the act of rejoicing	Exultation was evident by the partying and revelry.
Exultation	(n.) the act of rejoicing	Exultation was evident by the partying and revelry.
Earthy	(adj.) unrefined	The earthy-looking table was bare.