English Vocabulary Dictionary | Word Meanings, Definitions & Examples
CEFR Level
Quickly fading or disappearing; lasting for only a very short time.
"The beauty of the sunset was evanescent, fading within minutes."
Fair and impartial; showing no bias or favoritism.
"The judge was praised for her evenhanded approach to the case."
To turn inside out or outward.
"The surgeon had to evert the eyelid during the procedure."
relating to or providing evidence
"The lawyer presented evidential support for her claims."
to show or demonstrate clearly
"She evinced her interest in the project through active participation."
to remove the internal organs of; to deprive of essential content
"The critics eviscerated the movie for its weak storyline."
a large jug with a wide mouth, especially used in the past for carrying water
"The servant filled the ewer with fresh water."
the act of demanding or obtaining something, especially unfairly
"The peasants suffered under the king's heavy exactions."
Open to objection; causing disapproval.
"His rude remarks were considered exceptionable by everyone present."
The treasury of a state or country.
"The government announced new measures to improve the exchequer."
the act of cutting something out, especially by surgical removal
"The excision of the infected tissue prevented further complications."
a state of great excitement or the process of stimulating activity
"The news created great excitation among the fans."
To strongly criticize someone; to denounce severely.
"The critic excoriated the film for its poor script."
An abnormal outgrowth or lump, often considered unattractive.
"The building was considered an excrescence on the landscape."
to cause intense pain or suffering
"The injury excruciated him with unbearable pain."
to show or declare that someone is not guilty of wrongdoing
"The lawyer worked hard to exculpate his client."
Tending to digress or wander; moving away from the main subject.
"His excursive lecture left the students confused about the main topic."
Extremely bad or unpleasant.
"The movie was so execrable that many people left the theater early."
To feel or express great loathing or hatred for something.
"The community execrated the corrupt politician."
An act of cursing or denouncing someone or something with hatred.
"The dictator’s name was spoken with execration after his fall."
A critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially a religious scripture.
"The professor gave a detailed exegesis of the biblical passage."
A model or pattern to be copied or imitated.
"She is an exemplar of kindness and generosity."
able to be used up completely; not infinite
"Coal and oil are exhaustible resources."
To make someone feel very happy, animated, or excited.
"The mountain view exhilarated the travelers."
To strongly encourage or urge someone to do something.
"The teacher exhorted the students to study harder."
to dig out something buried, especially a body from the ground
"The archaeologists decided to exhume the ancient remains."
an urgent need or demand requiring immediate attention
"In times of war, the exigency of the situation requires quick decisions."
demanding immediate action or attention; urgent
"The patient’s exigent condition required immediate surgery."
the quality of being scanty or meager in amount
"The exiguity of resources made the project difficult to complete."
small in amount; scanty or inadequate
"They survived on exiguous rations during the journey."
The quality of being excessive, unreasonable, or going beyond proper limits.
"The exorbitance of the hotel's prices shocked the tourists."
To drive out an evil spirit or bad influence through rituals or prayers.
"The priest was called to exorcise the spirit from the house."
to speak or write at length or in detail
"The professor expatiated on the importance of critical thinking."
to cough up and spit out mucus from the throat or lungs
"The patient began to expectorate thick mucus."
the quality of being convenient and practical despite possibly being improper or immoral
"He acted out of political expediency rather than principle."
done with speed and efficiency
"The investigation was carried out in an expeditious manner."
in a quick and efficient manner
"The application was processed expeditiously."
to make amends for guilt or wrongdoing
"He tried to expiate his crime by helping the poor."
a word or phrase used as an exclamation, often offensive or profane
"He shouted an expletive when he dropped the hammer on his foot."
able to be explained or understood
"His sudden anger was explicable given the stressful situation."
to make an idea or principle clear by explaining it in detail
"The professor tried to explicate the theory of relativity for his students."
a person who explains or interprets something in detail
"The critic served as an explicator of the poet’s complex works."
intended to explain or describe something
"The teacher gave an expository lecture on the topic."
to express strong disapproval or disagreement
"She expostulated with her friend about the risky decision."
the act of expressing protest or disagreement
"His expostulation against the unfair rules was ignored."
To take property from its owner, especially by authority or for public use.
"The government decided to expropriate the land for a new highway."
The act of government taking private property, also known as confiscation, nationalization, or seizure.
"The land expropriation led to disputes among landowners."
To erase or remove completely, often something unwanted.
"He managed to expunge the embarrassing memory from his mind."
To remove offensive or objectionable parts from a text or speech.
"The publisher decided to expurgate the novel before reprinting it."