GRE Vocabulary Cartoons: E Words

ebullient

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

(adj.) excitedly enthusiastic

eclectic

selecting from or made up from a variety of sources

(adj.) varied

effaced

(verb) erased; wiped out

effete

(adj.) lacking in wholesome vigor or energy

(adj.) without strength or vitality; weak

efficacious

(adj.) effective, producing results

efflorescence

Blooming of flowers

(noun) blossoming

effrontery

(noun) shameless boldness

effusive

emotionally excessive; overly demonstrative

(adj.) extremely expressive

egalitarian

believing in the social and economic equality of all people

(adj.) based on the belief in human equality

(adj.) believeing in human equality

egregious

(adj.) extremely bad

emancipate

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

embellish

(verb) to decorate

embroiled

Involved in a conflict or difficulty

(verb) in a difficult situation

embryonic

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

(adj.) in an early stage

eminent

(adj.) famous, outstanding, distinguished; projecting

(adj.) famous

emollient

(adj.) soothing

emphatic

forceful and definite in expression or action

(adj.) forceful

empirical

(adj.) based on practical experience rather than theory

encomium

(noun) praise

encompass

(verb) to include

encroaching

trespassing, intruding

(verb) gradually invading one’s right or property

(verb) invading

enervating

(adj.) tiring

enigmatic

(adj.) mysterious, inexplicable, puzzling

enmity

(noun) hatred

ennui

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

(noun) dissatisfaction resulting from boredom.

entitled

(adj.) believing oneself to be inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment

entreat

(verb) to beg

(verb) to plead

ephemeral

(adj.) short-lived; fleeting

epitome

The best or most typical example

(noun) the best example of something

equivocal

(adj.) Ambiguous; intentionally misleading

(adj.) intentionally unclear

eradicate

(verb) to wipe out; to destroy

ersatz

artificial; not genuine; fake

(adj.) being an artificial and inferior substitute

erstwhile

(adj.) former; of an earlier time

erudite

(adj.) scholarly, learned, bookish, pedantic

(adj.) knowledgeable (from studying)

eschew

(verb) to avoid

esoteric

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

(adj.) known by only a few people

espouse

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

(verb) to support or give loyalty to

espy

to glimpse, to descry, to catch sight of

(verb) to catch sight of

estimable

(adj.) worthy of respect

estranged

(adj.) separated; alienated

(adj.) separated in a negative way

ethereal

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

(adj.) delicate; heavenly

Euphemism

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

(noun) an inoffensive term used in place of an offensive one

evanescent

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

evinced

displayed clearly; revealed

(verb) revealed

exacerbate

to make worse or more severe

(verb) made more severe

exact

to demand of/from

(verb) to take

exacting

(adj.) demanding perfection; strict

exaggerate

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

(verb) to make something look bigger than it actually is

excise

To cut out of; remove

(verb) to cut out

excoriate

(verb) to criticize severely

exculpate

(verb) to free from guilt or blame

execrable

loathsome, detestable

(adj.) extremely bad

exigent

(adj.) urgent; requiring immediate action

Exodus

(noun) a mass departure of people

exorbitant

(adj.) excessive

expatiate

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

(verb) to speak or write about in detail

expatriate

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

(noun) one who has moved to a foreign country

expedient

(adj.) convenient; practical

explicate

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

(verb) to explain

exponent

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

(noun) a supporter of something

expunge

(verb) to erase or eliminate

expurgate

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

(verb) to cleanse, purify

extant

(adj.) still existing

extemporaneous

improvised; done without preparation

(adj.) done without preparation

extenuating

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

(adj.) lessening the seriousness due to excuses

extirpate

to tear up by the roots; to destroy totally

(verb) to get rid of completely

(verb) terminate

extol

(verb) to praise highly

extraneous

(adj.) irrelevant

(adj.) not important

extrapolate

to infer or estimate by extending or projecting known information

(verb) to infer a conclusion based on other observation

exult

(verb) to rejoice greatly

(verb) to show great happiness