Distant

(adj.) having separations or being reserved

1. Rolonda's friends have become more distant in recent years.

Distention

(n.) inflation or extension

1. The bulge in the carpet was caused by the distention of the wood underneath.

Dither

(v.; n.) to act indecisively; a confused condition

1. She dithered every time she had to make a decision.
2. Having to take two tests in one day left the student in a dither.

Diverge

(v.) separate, split

1. The path diverges at the old barn, one fork leading to the house, and the other leading to the pond.
2. The wide, long river diverged into two distinct separate rivers, never again to join.

Diverse

(adj.) different; varied

1. The course offerings were so diverse I had a tough time choosing.

Divestiture

(n.) being stripped

1. When it was found the team cheated, there was a divestiture of their crown.

Docile

(adj.) manageable; obedient; gentle

1. We needed to choose a docile pet because we hadn't the patience for a lot of training.

Document

(n.; v.) official paper containing information; to support; substantiate; verify

1. They needed a written document to prove that the transaction occurred.
2. Facing an audit, she had to document all her client contacts.

Doggerel

(n.) verse characterized by forced rhyme and meter

1. Contrary to its appearance, doggerel can contain some weighty messages.

Dogma

(n.) a collection of beliefs

1. The dogma of the village was based on superstition.

Dogmatic

(adj.) stubborn; biased; opinionated

1. Their dogmatic declaration clarified their position.
2. The dogmatic statement had not yet been proven by science.
3. The student's dogmatic presentation annoyed his classmates as well as his instructor.

Dormant

(adj.) as if asleep

1. The animals lay dormant until the spring thaw.

Doting

(adj.) excessively fond of

1. With great joy, the doting father held the toddler.

Doughty

(adj.) brave and strong

1. The doughty fireman saved the woman's life.

Dowdy

(adj.) shabby in appearance

1. The dowdy girl had no buttons on her coat and the threads were falling apart.

Dubious

(adj.) doubtful; uncertain; skeptical; suspicious

1. Many people are dubious about the possibility of intelligent life on other planets.
2. The new information was dubious enough to re-open the case.

Duplicity

(n.) deception

1. She forgave his duplicity but divorced him anyway.

Duress

(n.) imprisonment; the use of threats

1. His duress was supposed to last 10-15 years.
2. The policewoman put the man under duress in order to get a confession.
3. The Labor Department inspector needed to establish whether the plant workers had been held under duress.

Earthy

(adj.) unrefined

1. The earthy-looking table was bare.

Ebullience

(n.) an overflowing of high spirits; effervescence

1. She emanated ebullience as she skipped and sang down the hallway after learning of her promotion.

Eccentric

(adj.) odd; peculiar; strange

1. People like to talk with the eccentric artist since he has such different views on everyday subjects.
2. Wearing polka dot pants and a necklace made of recycled bottle tops is considered eccentric.

Ecclesiastic

(adj.) pertaining or relating to a church

1. Ecclesiastic obligations include attending mass.

Eclectic

(adj.) picking from various possibilities; made up of material from various sources

1. You have eclectic taste.
2. The eclectic collection of furniture did not match.

Economical

(adj.) not wasteful; thrifty

1. With her economical sense she was able to save the company thousands of dollars.

Edifice

(n.) a large building

1. The edifice rose 20 stories and spanned two blocks.

Edify

(v.) to build or establish; to instruct and improve the mind

1. According to their schedule, the construction company will edify the foundation of the building in one week.
2. The teachers worked to edify their students through lessons and discussion.

Educe

(v.) to draw out; to infer from information

1. Because she is so dour, I was forced to educe a response.
2. I educe from the report that the experiment was a success.

Efface

(v.) to erase; to make inconspicuous

1. Hiding in the woods, the soldier was effaced by his camouflage uniform.

Effeminate

(adj.) having qualities attributed to a woman; delicate

1. A high-pitched laugh made the man seem effeminate.

Effervescence

(n.) liveliness; spirit; enthusiasm; bubbliness

1. Her effervescence was contagious; she made everyone around her happy.
2. The effervescence of champagne is what makes it different from wine.

Effigy

(n.) the image or likeness of a person

1. Demonstrators carried effigies of the dictator they wanted overthrown.

Effluvium

(n.) an outflow of vapor of invisible particles; a noxious odor

1. The effluvium from the exhaust had a bad smell.
2. It was difficult to determine from where the effluvium issued.

Effrontery

(n.) arrogance

1. The effrontery of the young man was offensive.

Effusive

(adj.) pouring out or forth; overflowing

1. The effusive currents rush through the broken dam.

Egocentric

(adj.) self-centered, viewing everything in relation to oneself

1. The egocentric professor could not accept the students' opinions as valid.

Egress

(n.) a way out; exit

1. The doorway provided an egress from the chamber.

Elaboration

(n.) act of clarifying; adding details

1. The mayor called for an elaboration on the ordinance's first draft.

Elegy

(n.) a poem of lament and praise for the dead

1. Upon conclusion of the elegy, the casket was closed.

Ellipsis

(n.) omission of words that would make the meaning clear

1. The accidental ellipsis confused all those who heard the speech.

Eloquence

(n.) the ability to speak well

1. The speaker's eloquence was attributed to his articulate manner of speaking.

Elucidate

(v.) to make clear; to explain

1. In the paper's conclusion, its purpose was elucidated in one sentence.

Elusive

(adj.) hard to catch

1. Even the experienced, old fisherman admitted that the trout in the river were quite elusive.

Emanate

(v.) to emit

1. Happiness emanates from the loving home.

Embarkation

(v.) to engage or invest in

1. The embarkation into self-employment was a new start for the woman.

Embellish

(v.) to improve by adding details

1. Adding beads to a garment will embellish it.

Eminence

(n.) a lofty place; superiority

1. After toiling in the shadows for years, at last she achieved eminence.
2. 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

1. When hands become dry, it may be necessary to soothe them with an emollient lotion.

Emulate

(v.) to try to equal or excel

1. The neophyte teacher was hoping to emulate her mentor.

Enamored

(adj.) filled with love and desire

1. The young couple are enamored with each other.

Encomium

(n.) formal expression of high praise

1. The sitcom actress gave her co-stars a long encomium as she accepted her Emmy.