GRE Vocabulary Cartoons: E Words

ebullient

(adj.) overflowing with enthusiasm and excitement; boiling, bubbling

eclectic

selecting from or made up from a variety of sources

effaced

erased; wiped out

effete

(adj.) lacking in wholesome vigor or energy

efficacious

effective, producing results

efflorescence

Blooming of flowers

effrontery

shameless boldness

effusive

emotionally excessive; overly demonstrative

egalitarian

believing in the social and economic equality of all people

egregious

extremely bad

emancipate

(v.) to free from slavery; to release or liberate

embellish

to decorate

embroiled

Involved in a conflict or difficulty

embryonic

adj. in an early stage of development; of an organism prior to birth or hatching

eminent

(adj.) famous, outstanding, distinguished; projecting

emollient

soothing

emphatic

forceful and definite in expression or action

empirical

based on practical experience rather than theory

encomium

praise

encompass

to include

encroaching

trespassing, intruding

enervating

tiring

enigmatic

mysterious, inexplicable, puzzling

enmity

hatred

ennui

(n.) weariness and dissatisfaction from lack of occupation or interest, boredom

entitled

believing oneself to be inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment

entreat

to beg

ephemeral

short-lived; fleeting

epitome

The best or most typical example

equivocal

Ambiguous; intentionally misleading

eradicate

to wipe out; to destroy

ersatz

artificial; not genuine; fake

erstwhile

former; of an earlier time

erudite

(adj.) scholarly, learned, bookish, pedantic

eschew

to avoid

esoteric

(adj.) intended for or understood by only a select few, private, secret

espouse

(v.) to take up and support; to become attached to, adopt; to marry

espy

to glimpse, to descry, to catch sight of

estimable

worthy of respect

estranged

separated; alienated

ethereal

extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world

Euphemism

An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant

evanescent

(adj.) vanishing, soon passing away; light and airy

evinced

displayed clearly; revealed

exacerbate

to make worse or more severe

exact

to demand of/from

exacting

demanding perfection; strict

exaggerate

To describe something as larger or greater than it really is.

excise

To cut out of; remove

excoriate

to criticize severely

exculpate

to free from guilt or blame

execrable

loathsome, detestable

exigent

urgent; requiring immediate action

Exodus

a mass departure of people

exorbitant

excessive

expatiate

(v.) to expand on, write or talk at length or in detail; to move about freely

expatriate

someone who chooses to live outside of, or renounce, his or her native country

expedient

convenient; practical

explicate

(v.) to make plain or clear, explain; to interpret

exponent

(n.) one who advocates, speaks for, explains, or interprets

expunge

to erase or eliminate

expurgate

(v.) to remove objectionable passages or words from a written text; to cleanse, purify

extant

still existing

extemporaneous

improvised; done without preparation

extenuating

(adj) excusing, lessening the seriousness of guilt or crime, e.g., of mitigating factors

extirpate

to tear up by the roots; to destroy totally

extol

to praise highly

extraneous

irrelevant

extrapolate

to infer or estimate by extending or projecting known information

exult

to rejoice greatly