Disarray (n): dis-uh-rey
If people or things are in disarray, they are disorganized and confused = disorder
The delay threw the entire timetable into disarray
Disavowal (n): dis-uh-vou-uhl
A disavowal of something is a statement that you are not connected with it or responsible for it, or that you no longer agree with or believe in it = denial, repudiation
He faced a public disavowal of his beliefs
Discomfiture (n): dis-kuhm-fi-cher
Discomfiture is a feeling of slight embarrassment or confusion = unease
she was discomfited by his looming presence and tried to avoid his eyes
Discourse (n): dis-kawrs
Discourse is spoken or written communication between people, especially serious discussion of a particular subject = discussion
Candidates should engage in serious political discourse
Discrepancy (n): dih-skrep-uhn-see (455)
If there is a discrepancy between two things that ought to be the same, there is a noticeable difference between them = inconsistency
There is a large discrepancy between the ideal image of motherhood and the reality
Discretion (n): dih-skresh-uhn
the ability and right to decide exactly what should be done in a particular situation
The awards are made at the discretion of the committee
Disdain (n): dis-deyn, dih-steyn
If you feel disdain for someone or something, you dislike them because you think that they are inferior or unimportant = contempt, scorn
She watched me with disdain
Dishabille (n): dis-uh-beel
in a state of undress
Disparity (n): dih-spar-i-tee
If there is a disparity between two or more things, there is a noticeable difference between them = difference
A disparity between the rates of pay for men and women
Dispersion (n): dih-spur-zhuhn (460)
Dispersion is the spreading of people or things over a wide area = scattering
The threat will force greater dispersion of their forces
Disquietude (n): dis-kwahy-i-tood, -tyood
the state of disquiet; uneasiness, anxiety
There was a strange sense of disquietude in the air
Disquisition (n): dis-kwuh-zish-uhn
A disquisition is a detailed explanation of a particular subject = a formal systematic inquiry
Amanda launched into an authoritative disquisition about contracts
Dissection (n): dih-sek-shuhn
analysis; cutting apart in order to examine
Dissertation (n): dis-er-tey-shuhn
A dissertation is a long formal piece of writing on a particular subject, especially for a university degree = formal essay
He is currently writing a dissertation on the Somali civil war
Dissolution (n): dis-uh-loo-shuhn (465)
Dissolution is the act of breaking up officially an organization or institution, or of formally ending a parliament = termination, disintegration
The president announced the dissolution of the National Assembly
Dissonance (n): dis-uh-nuhns
Dissonance is a lack of agreement or harmony between things = discord
The dissonance arose at the meeting on the issue of wages
Dissuasion (n): dih-swey-zhuhn
advice against
Distaff (n): dis-taf
A stick used in the past for spinning wool
Distortion (n): dih-stawr-shuhn
Distortion is the changing of something into something that is not true or not acceptable = twisting out of shape
I think it would be a gross distortion of facts to say that they were motivated by self-interest
Diva (n): dee-vuh (470)
You can refer to a successful and famous female opera singer as a diva
Diversion (n): dih-vur-zhuhn
A diversion is an action or event that attracts your attention away from what you are doing or concentrating on = change
After studying for several hours, he needed a diversion from work
Diversity (n): dih-vur-si-tee
The diversity of something is the fact that it contains many very different elements = variety
Two prisoners created a diversion to give the men time to escape
Divestiture (n): dih-ves-ti-cher
the sale of business holdings or part of a company, esp under legal compulsion = sell
Divination (n): div-uh-ney-shuhn
Divination is the art or practice of discovering what will happen in the future using supernatural means
For instance, there are more than sixty separate forms of divination
Docket (n): dok-it (475)
1 A docket is a certificate or ticket which shows the contents of something such as a parcel or cargo, and proves who the goods belong to 2 a list of things that are to be discussed or done = agenda
What's on the docket for tomorrow's meeting?
Doggerel (n): daw-ger-uhl
If you refer to a poem as doggerel, you are emphasizing that you think it is very bad poetry = poor verse
Although we find occasional snatches of genuine poetry in her work, most of her writing is mere doggerel
Dolt (n): dohlt
If you call someone a dolt, you think they are stupid, or have done something stupid = idiot, stupid person
His house owner is a real dolt
Domicile (n): dom-uh-sahyl
Your domicile is the place where you live= abode, home
Any change in the domicile should be notified to the proper authorities
Dotage (n): doh-tij
If someone is in their dotage, they are very old and becoming weak = senility
Old people are endearing in their dotage
Dregs (n): dreg (480)
The dregs of a liquid are the last drops left at the bottom of a container, together with any solid bits that have sunk to the bottom
Dump this where the rest of the dregs have been dumped
Dross (n): draws, dros
If you describe something as dross, you mean that it is of very poor quality or has no value = rubbish
Most of the poems were pretentious dross
Drudgery (n): druhj-uh-ree
You use drudgery to refer to jobs and tasks which are boring or unpleasant but which must be done = menial work
People want to get away from the drudgery of their everyday lives
Ductility (n): duhk-tl, -til
ductile metals can be pressed or pulled into shape without needing to be heated
Copper wire has many industrial uses because of its extreme ductility
Duenna (n): doo-en-uh
an older woman acting as a governess and chaperone to girls in a Spanish family
Durance (n): door-uhns (485)
imprisonment
Duress (n): doo-res, dyoo-, door-is, dyoor-
To do something under duress means to do it because someone forces you to do it or threatens you = force
the management had to give in to the demands posed by the workers under duress
Duplicity (n): doo-plis-i-tee
If you accuse someone of duplicity, you mean that they are deceitful = deceit, double-dealing, hypocrisy
Malcolm believed he was guilty of duplicity in his private dealings
Eccentricity (n): ek-suhn-tris-i-tee
Eccentricities are ways of behaving that people think are strange, or habits or opinions that are different from those of most people = peculiarity, oddity, idiosyncrasy
We all have our eccentricities
Eclat (n): ey-klah
a conspicuously brilliant or successful effect = glory
They gave him more eclat than he really deserved
Eclecticism (n): ih-klek-tuh-siz-uhm (490)
Eclecticism is the principle or practice of choosing or involving objects, ideas, and beliefs from many different sources
Economy (n): ih-kon-uh-mee
Economy is the use of the minimum amount of money, time, or other resources needed to achieve something, so that nothing is wasted
The gas fire was turned low for reasons of economy
Ecstasy (n): ek-stuh-see
Ecstasy is a feeling of very great happiness = rapture, joy, any overpowering emotion
People are moving wildly in a state of religious ecstasy
Edict (n): ee-dikt
An edict is a command or instruction given by someone in authority = order
The citizens welcomed this new edict with joy
Effervescence (n): ef-er-ves
to show enthusiasm, excitement, liveliness, etc
The parents effervesced with pride over their new baby
Efficacy (n): ef-i-kuh-see (495)
If you talk about the efficacy of something, you are talking about its effectiveness and its ability to do what it is supposed to = competence
The efficacy of the solution that the scientist has provided can only be tested through a practical test
Effigy (n): ef-i-jee
An effigy is a quickly and roughly made figure, often ugly or amusing, that represents someone you hate or feel contempt for
Efflorescence (n): ef-luh-res-uhns
The action of flowers, art etc forming and developing, or the period of time when this happens
Effluvium (n): ih-floo-vee-uhm
Noxious smell
Air pollution has become a serious problem in our major cities; the effluvium and the poisons in the air are hazards to life
Effrontery (n): ih-fruhn-tuh-ree
Effrontery is behaviour that is bold, rude, or disrespectful
He has the effrontery to admit in front of the entire class that he himself was the cause of the entire problem
Effusion (n): ih-fyoo-zhuhn (500)
If someone expresses their emotions or ideas with effusion, they express them with more enthusiasm and for longer than is usual or expected = pouring forth
I did not embarrass her with my effusions
If people or things are in disarray, they are disorganized and confused = disorder
The delay threw the entire timetable into disarray
Disavowal (n): dis-uh-vou-uhl
A disavowal of something is a statement that you are not connected with it or responsible for it, or that you no longer agree with or believe in it = denial, repudiation
He faced a public disavowal of his beliefs
Discomfiture (n): dis-kuhm-fi-cher
Discomfiture is a feeling of slight embarrassment or confusion = unease
she was discomfited by his looming presence and tried to avoid his eyes
Discourse (n): dis-kawrs
Discourse is spoken or written communication between people, especially serious discussion of a particular subject = discussion
Candidates should engage in serious political discourse
Discrepancy (n): dih-skrep-uhn-see (455)
If there is a discrepancy between two things that ought to be the same, there is a noticeable difference between them = inconsistency
There is a large discrepancy between the ideal image of motherhood and the reality
Discretion (n): dih-skresh-uhn
the ability and right to decide exactly what should be done in a particular situation
The awards are made at the discretion of the committee
Disdain (n): dis-deyn, dih-steyn
If you feel disdain for someone or something, you dislike them because you think that they are inferior or unimportant = contempt, scorn
She watched me with disdain
Dishabille (n): dis-uh-beel
in a state of undress
Disparity (n): dih-spar-i-tee
If there is a disparity between two or more things, there is a noticeable difference between them = difference
A disparity between the rates of pay for men and women
Dispersion (n): dih-spur-zhuhn (460)
Dispersion is the spreading of people or things over a wide area = scattering
The threat will force greater dispersion of their forces
Disquietude (n): dis-kwahy-i-tood, -tyood
the state of disquiet; uneasiness, anxiety
There was a strange sense of disquietude in the air
Disquisition (n): dis-kwuh-zish-uhn
A disquisition is a detailed explanation of a particular subject = a formal systematic inquiry
Amanda launched into an authoritative disquisition about contracts
Dissection (n): dih-sek-shuhn
analysis; cutting apart in order to examine
Dissertation (n): dis-er-tey-shuhn
A dissertation is a long formal piece of writing on a particular subject, especially for a university degree = formal essay
He is currently writing a dissertation on the Somali civil war
Dissolution (n): dis-uh-loo-shuhn (465)
Dissolution is the act of breaking up officially an organization or institution, or of formally ending a parliament = termination, disintegration
The president announced the dissolution of the National Assembly
Dissonance (n): dis-uh-nuhns
Dissonance is a lack of agreement or harmony between things = discord
The dissonance arose at the meeting on the issue of wages
Dissuasion (n): dih-swey-zhuhn
advice against
Distaff (n): dis-taf
A stick used in the past for spinning wool
Distortion (n): dih-stawr-shuhn
Distortion is the changing of something into something that is not true or not acceptable = twisting out of shape
I think it would be a gross distortion of facts to say that they were motivated by self-interest
Diva (n): dee-vuh (470)
You can refer to a successful and famous female opera singer as a diva
Diversion (n): dih-vur-zhuhn
A diversion is an action or event that attracts your attention away from what you are doing or concentrating on = change
After studying for several hours, he needed a diversion from work
Diversity (n): dih-vur-si-tee
The diversity of something is the fact that it contains many very different elements = variety
Two prisoners created a diversion to give the men time to escape
Divestiture (n): dih-ves-ti-cher
the sale of business holdings or part of a company, esp under legal compulsion = sell
Divination (n): div-uh-ney-shuhn
Divination is the art or practice of discovering what will happen in the future using supernatural means
For instance, there are more than sixty separate forms of divination
Docket (n): dok-it (475)
1 A docket is a certificate or ticket which shows the contents of something such as a parcel or cargo, and proves who the goods belong to 2 a list of things that are to be discussed or done = agenda
What's on the docket for tomorrow's meeting?
Doggerel (n): daw-ger-uhl
If you refer to a poem as doggerel, you are emphasizing that you think it is very bad poetry = poor verse
Although we find occasional snatches of genuine poetry in her work, most of her writing is mere doggerel
Dolt (n): dohlt
If you call someone a dolt, you think they are stupid, or have done something stupid = idiot, stupid person
His house owner is a real dolt
Domicile (n): dom-uh-sahyl
Your domicile is the place where you live= abode, home
Any change in the domicile should be notified to the proper authorities
Dotage (n): doh-tij
If someone is in their dotage, they are very old and becoming weak = senility
Old people are endearing in their dotage
Dregs (n): dreg (480)
The dregs of a liquid are the last drops left at the bottom of a container, together with any solid bits that have sunk to the bottom
Dump this where the rest of the dregs have been dumped
Dross (n): draws, dros
If you describe something as dross, you mean that it is of very poor quality or has no value = rubbish
Most of the poems were pretentious dross
Drudgery (n): druhj-uh-ree
You use drudgery to refer to jobs and tasks which are boring or unpleasant but which must be done = menial work
People want to get away from the drudgery of their everyday lives
Ductility (n): duhk-tl, -til
ductile metals can be pressed or pulled into shape without needing to be heated
Copper wire has many industrial uses because of its extreme ductility
Duenna (n): doo-en-uh
an older woman acting as a governess and chaperone to girls in a Spanish family
Durance (n): door-uhns (485)
imprisonment
Duress (n): doo-res, dyoo-, door-is, dyoor-
To do something under duress means to do it because someone forces you to do it or threatens you = force
the management had to give in to the demands posed by the workers under duress
Duplicity (n): doo-plis-i-tee
If you accuse someone of duplicity, you mean that they are deceitful = deceit, double-dealing, hypocrisy
Malcolm believed he was guilty of duplicity in his private dealings
Eccentricity (n): ek-suhn-tris-i-tee
Eccentricities are ways of behaving that people think are strange, or habits or opinions that are different from those of most people = peculiarity, oddity, idiosyncrasy
We all have our eccentricities
Eclat (n): ey-klah
a conspicuously brilliant or successful effect = glory
They gave him more eclat than he really deserved
Eclecticism (n): ih-klek-tuh-siz-uhm (490)
Eclecticism is the principle or practice of choosing or involving objects, ideas, and beliefs from many different sources
Economy (n): ih-kon-uh-mee
Economy is the use of the minimum amount of money, time, or other resources needed to achieve something, so that nothing is wasted
The gas fire was turned low for reasons of economy
Ecstasy (n): ek-stuh-see
Ecstasy is a feeling of very great happiness = rapture, joy, any overpowering emotion
People are moving wildly in a state of religious ecstasy
Edict (n): ee-dikt
An edict is a command or instruction given by someone in authority = order
The citizens welcomed this new edict with joy
Effervescence (n): ef-er-ves
to show enthusiasm, excitement, liveliness, etc
The parents effervesced with pride over their new baby
Efficacy (n): ef-i-kuh-see (495)
If you talk about the efficacy of something, you are talking about its effectiveness and its ability to do what it is supposed to = competence
The efficacy of the solution that the scientist has provided can only be tested through a practical test
Effigy (n): ef-i-jee
An effigy is a quickly and roughly made figure, often ugly or amusing, that represents someone you hate or feel contempt for
Efflorescence (n): ef-luh-res-uhns
The action of flowers, art etc forming and developing, or the period of time when this happens
Effluvium (n): ih-floo-vee-uhm
Noxious smell
Air pollution has become a serious problem in our major cities; the effluvium and the poisons in the air are hazards to life
Effrontery (n): ih-fruhn-tuh-ree
Effrontery is behaviour that is bold, rude, or disrespectful
He has the effrontery to admit in front of the entire class that he himself was the cause of the entire problem
Effusion (n): ih-fyoo-zhuhn (500)
If someone expresses their emotions or ideas with effusion, they express them with more enthusiasm and for longer than is usual or expected = pouring forth
I did not embarrass her with my effusions
