Barron's-F
Terms
undefined, object
copy deck
- forensic
- suitable to debate or courts of law; of or used in legal proceedings and the tracking of criminals; Ex. forensic science/medicine
- forte
- strong point or special talent in a person's character
- fruitful
- producing results; profitable; prolific; producing in abundance
- finish
- surface texture; completeness of execution
- falter
- hesitate; weaken in purpose or action; walk or move unsteadily through weakness; N.
- fetish(fetich)
- object believed to have spiritual powers; object of excessive attention or reverence; CF. fetishism
- flotsam
- drifting wreckage
- fluency
- smoothness of speech; ADJ. fluent
- finite
- limited
- fallible
- liable to err
- filch
- steal (things of small value)
- 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)
- frenzied
- madly excited; N. frenzy: violent wild excitement
- flutter
- (of a bird with large wings) wave (the wings) lightly, rapidly, and irregularly; vibrate rapidly or erratically; fly by waving quickly; flitter; N.
- fiasco
- total failure; CF. bottle
- feint
- trick; shift; sham blow; feigned attack to draw away defensive action; V.
- forswear
- renounce under oath; abandon; make a solemn promise to give up; CF. abjure
- foray
- raid; sudden raid or military advance; V.
- forsake
- desert; abandon; renounce
- 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
- foresight
- ability to foresee future happenings; prudence in providing for the future
- facilitate
- help bring about; make less difficult
- forestall
- prevent by taking action in advance
- fleet
- fast; rapid; N. ADJ. fleeting: passing quickly; ephemeral
- fatalism
- belief that events are determined by forces or fates beyond one's control; ADJ. fatalistic; CF. fatal: causing death
- favoritism
- display of partiality toward a favored person
- fickle
- changeable (in affections or friendship); faithless
- fervor
- glowing ardor; intensity of feeling; quality of being fervent or fervid; zeal; intense heat
- flair
- talent
- faze
- disconcert; dismay; embarrass
- flashy
- showy; gaudy; giving a momentary brilliance
- ford
- place where a river can be crossed on foot; V.
- 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
- fecundity
- fertility; fruitfulness; ADJ. fecund: very productive of crops or young
- festive
- joyous; celebratory; relating to a feast or festival
- flux
- flowing; series of changes; fluctuation; Ex. in a state of flux
- feign
- pretend
- fancied
- imagined; unreal
- felicitous
- (of a word or remark) apt; suitably expressed; well chosen
- formality
- ceremonious quality; ceremonious adherence to rules; something done just for form's sake; Ex. mere formality
- fabricate
- build; lie; make up (a story) in order to deceive; Ex. fabricate the whole story; CF. fabric: underlying structure; Ex. fabric of society
- foliage
- masses of leaves; CF. defoliate
- florescence
- condition or period of flowering
- 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
- frieze
- ornamental horizontal band on a wall
- finesse
- delicate skill; V: handle with finesse
- feral
- (of an animal) not domestic; wild
- fathom
- comprehend; investigate; determine the depth of; N. unit of measurement for the depth of water
- fruition
- bearing of fruit; fulfillment; realization; Ex. come to/be brought to fruition
- fledgling(fledgeling)
- inexperienced; N: young bird that has acquired wing feathers and is learning to fly; inexperienced person
- foment
- stir up; incite; instigate; promote the growth of (something evil or unpleasant)
- figurine
- small ornamental statuette(very small statue)
- functional
- made for practical use only (without decoration); functioning; Ex. functional modern furniture; CF. functionalism
- fresco
- painting on wet plaster (usually fresh)
- fundamental
- basic; primary; essential
- frigid
- intensely cold; cold in manner; Ex. frigid zone
- fuddle
- make stupid or confused as with alcholic drink; N. in a fuddle: confused
- 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
- flounder
- struggle and thrash about; proceed clumsily or falter (as in water, mud, snow, etc.); proceed in confusion
- fell
- cut or knock down (a tree or a person); bring down (with a missile)
- fodder
- coarse food for cattle, horses, etc.; feed for livestock; CF. food
- finery
- beautiful clothes for a special occasion
- frock
- long loose garment (worn by monks)
- frugality
- thrift; economy; ADJ. frugal: practicing economy; costing little; inexpensive
- fissure
- crevice; crack
- flaccid
- flabby; lacking firmness; weak; Ex. flaccid muscles
- furrow
- long shallow trench made by a plow; deep wrinkle in the skin; V.
- forbearance
- patience; forgiveness; V. forbear: refrain from (in a generous and forgiving way); be patient; Ex. forbear to send him to prison
- fortitude
- bravery; courage; strength of mind
- 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
- forthcoming
- happening in the near future; ready; willing to help; Ex. No answer was forthcoming.
- 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
- flinch
- hesitate; shrink back (in fear of something unpleasant); Ex. She did not flinch in the face of danger.
- flaunt
- display ostentatiously; Ex. ``Honey, if you've got it, flaunt it !''
- fringe
- decorative edge of hanging threads; edge
- fleck
- spot; mark with flecks; N: small mark or spot
- frail
- weak; N. frailty
- flay
- strip off skin; plunder; remove the skin from; criticize harshly
- factotum
- handyman; person who does all kinds of work; CF. do everything
- flip
- send (something) spinning, often into the air, by striking with a light quick blow; turn over; Ex. flip over
- fusillade
- simultaneous firing or outburst (of missiles, questions, etc.)
- flit
- fly; fly or move lightly or quickly; dart lightly; pass swiftly by; Ex. a bee flitting from flower to flower
- fractious
- unruly; peevish; cranky; bad-tempered; Ex. fractious horse
- fortuitous
- accidental; by chance; N. fortuity
- 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
- frantic
- wild; distraught as from fear or worry; Ex. frantic with fear
- frivolous
- lacking in seriousness; flippant; self-indulgently carefree; unworthy of serious attention; relatively unimportant; trivial
- 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
- fathomless
- too deep to be measured or understood; unfathomable
- feebleminded
- deficient in intelligence; very stupid
- facetious
- joking (often inappropriately); unserious; humorous
- frisk
- move about playfully; froric; ADJ. frisky: playful
- finicky
- too particular; fussy; difficult to please; too concerned with unimportant details or quality; Ex. finicky about her food
- forward
- presumptuous or bold
- friction
- clash or conflict in opinion; rubbing against
- frolicsome
- prankish; gay; playful; merry; frisky
- flag
- droop; grow feeble; decline in vigor or strength; ADJ. flagging; CF. unflagging
- fastidious
- difficult to please; squeamish; fussy; finicky
- fusion
- union; coalition; V. fuse
- 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
- flamboyant
- ornate; highly elaborate; richly colored; ostentatious; showy; CF. flame
- falsify
- make (something written) false by changing
- fictitious
- imaginary; non-existent; purposely invented to deceive; untrue; Ex. fictitious name/boyfriend; CF. fictional
- frustrate
- thwart; defeat; prevent from accomplishing a purpose
- flagrant
- conspicuously wicked, bad, or offensive; blatant; outrageous
- fatuous
- smugly and unconsciously foolish; inane; silly; N. fatuity, fatuousness
- fleece
- wool coat of a sheep; V: shear the fleece from; rob by a trick; swindle; plunder
- furtive
- stealthy; quiet and secret (trying to escape notice); sneaky; Ex. furtive glance
- flout
- reject; mock; show contempt for; scorn; Ex. flout the rules
- fanaticism
- excessive zeal; extreme devotion to a belief or cause; N. fanatic; ADJ. fanatic
- freebooter
- pirate or plunderer who makes war in order to grow rich
- forerunner
- predecessor; one that comes before and indicates the approach of another
- fiend
- evil spirit; devil
- fussy
- fastidious; finicky; easily upset
- foil
- defeat; frustrate; prevent from being successful; thwart; CF. fail
- foolhardy
- rash; reckless; foolishly daring
- factious
- inclined to form factions; causing dissension
- ferocious
- fierce; violent; N. ferocity
- fulsome
- disgustingly excessive; offensively flattering; Ex. fulsome praise/expressions of admire
- flicker
- burn unsteadily or fitfully; move waveringly; N: flickering movement or light; brief sensation; Ex. flicker of excitement
- funereal
- sad; solemn; suitable for a funeral
- fete(f\^ete)
- honor at a festival; celebrate or honor with a feast; N. (outdoor) festival or feast; CF. feast
- foible
- small weakness of character; slight fault; CF. feeble
- foreshadow
- give an indication beforehand; be a sign of (what is coming); portend; prefigure
- furor
- frenzy; great anger and excitement; CF. fury
- frolic
- play and jump about happily; frisk; Ex. frolicking young lambs
- fit
- sudden outburst of an illness or feeling; convulsion caused by epilepsy
- fermentation
- chemical reaction that splits complex organic compounds; unrest; agitation
- fashion
- give shape to; make; Ex. fashion the pot out of clay
- feasible
- practical; able to be carried out; practicable
- fluke
- unlikely occurrence; stroke of fortune; accidental stroke of good luck; ADJ. fluky
- filing
- particle removed by a file
- 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 facilitates an
- fauna
- animals of a period or region; CF. flora
- feline
- of a member of the cat family; N.
- 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; appear; cons
- fester
- rankle; produce irritation or resentment; (of a cut or wound) generate pus or rot; Ex. His insult festered in my mind for days.
- filigree
- delicate ornamental lacelike metalwork
- 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.
- fracas
- brawl(noisy quarrel or fight) in which a number of people take part; melee
- forfeit
- something surrendered as punishment for a crime or breach of contract; V: lose as a forfeit; N. forfeiture
- 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
- founder
- person who establishes (an organization or business)
- flora
- plants of a region or era
- fawning
- courting favor by cringing and flattering; V. fawn: exhibit affection as a dog; seek favor or attention by obsequiousness
- fallacious
- false; based on a fallacy; misleading; N. fallacy: false idea or notion; false reasoning; Ex. popular fallacy; Ex. fallacy of the argument
- faction
- party; clique (within a large group); dissension
- foppish
- vain about dress and appearance; N. fop: man who takes too much interest in his clothes and appearance
- finished
- properly made and complete; Ex. finished product/performance
- farce
- broad comedy; mockery; humorous play full of silly things happening; ADJ. farcical
- frond
- fern leaf; palm or banana leaf
- functionary
- official (who performs a particular function)
- factitious
- artificial; produced artificially; sham; false; Ex. factitious tears
- fetter
- shackle; restrict the freedom of; N. chain or shackle for the foot of a prisoner; CF. foot
- faculty
- mental or bodily powers; teaching staff
- fraudulent
- cheating; deceitful; Ex. fraudulent means; N. fraud: deception; swindle
- feud
- bitter prolonged quarrel (usually between two peoples or families); V. CF. Romeo and Juliet; CF. feudal, feudalism
- fancier
- breeder or dealer of animals; one who has a special interest, as for raising specific plant or animal
- fulminate
- thunder; explode; issue a severe denunciation
- febrile
- feverish
- fidelity
- loyalty; accuracy
- fret
- be annoyed or vexed; Ex. fret over your poor grades; N: irritation of mind; ADJ. fretful
- filth
- dirty matter; ADJ. filthy
- filial
- pertaining to or befitting a son or daughter; Ex. filial respect
- florid
- ruddy; (of a complexion) reddish; flowery; very ornate; CF. rose
- fervent
- ardent; zealous; hot
- ferment
- agitation; commotion(noisy and excited activity); unrest (of a political kind); V. produce by fermentation; undergo fermentation; cause (a state of trouble)
- fetid(foetid)
- malodorous; foul
- forgo(forego)
- give up; do without
- floe
- flat mass of floating ice
- forlorn
- sad and lonely; wretched; desolate
- franchise
- right or privilege granted by authority; right to vote; license to sell a product in a particular territory
- firebrand
- piece of burning wood; hothead; troublemaker; person who stirs up trouble
- fritter
- waste (time or money on unimportant things)
- foreboding
- premonition of evil; feeling of coming evil; V. forebode: be a warning of (something unpleasant)
- facsimile
- copy
- felon
- person convicted of a grave crime; CF. felony: serious crime
- flowery
- full of flowers; full of ornate expressions
- figurative
- not literal but metaphorical; using a figure(impression) of speech
- flirt
- behave in a way that attracts (sexual) attention; deal triflingly with; N: one (or woman) given to flirting; ADJ. flirtatious
- fervid
- ardent; zealous; hot
- fulcrum
- support on which a lever rests or pivots
- figment
- invention; something invented; imaginary thing; Ex. figment of your imagination
- fluctuate
- waver; shift; rise and fall as if in waves; change or vary irregularly
- 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
- fiat
- command; arbitrary order; Ex. presidential fiat; CF. let it be done
- 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
- finale
- conclusion; concluding part
- filibuster
- block legislation or prevent action in a lawmaking body by making very slow long speeches; N; freebooter
- far-fetched
- too improbable to be believed; implausible; Ex. far-fetched story
- fertile
- producing many young, fruits, or seeds; (of land) producing good crops; V. fertilize
- fitful
- spasmodic; intermittent; irregular
- facet
- small plane surface (of a gem(precious stone)); a side
- fanciful
- whimsical; visionary; imaginary; produced by imagination; Ex. fanciful scheme
- foist
- insert improperly; impose upon another by coercion; palm off; pass off as genuine or worthy; CF. fist
- 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
- fructify
- bear fruit; produce fruit
- fluster
- confuse; make nervous and confused; N.
- fallow
- (of land) plowed but not sowed (to improve the quality); uncultivated
- facade(fa\c{c}ade)
- front or face (of building); superficial or false appearance
- fake
- not genuine; N: one that is not genuine; impostor; sham; V: counterfeit; Ex. fake the results of the experiment/the signature
- forum
- public square of an ancient Roman city; public place for open discussion; court of law
- formidable
- menacing; arousing fear; threatening; difficult to defeat; Ex. formidable foe/question
- flighty
- (esp. of a woman's behavior) capricious; often changing, esp. from one lover to another; impulsive
- fraught
- filled (with something unpleasant); full; Ex. fraught with danger and difficulties; CF. freight
- forebears(forbears)
- ancestors
- felicity
- happiness; appropriateness (of a remark, choice, etc.); quality of being felicitous
- forthright
- straightforward; direct; frank
- flippant
- lacking proper seriousness; Ex. flippant remarks about death; N. flippancy
- futile
- useless; hopeless; ineffectual