Vocabulary Word Meanings: From Futile, Fallacious to Fulminate, Furtive

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Futile

hopelessly ineffective; useless; in vain

Also used as: Futility (noun) ; futilely (adv)

You can flap your arms forever but trying to fly is a futile effort.

Fallacious

adj- false; misleading

Also used as: Fallacy (noun) ; fallaciously (adv)

Many claims we believe to be true may, years later turn out to be fallacious.

Fastidious

adj- difficult to please

Also used as: Fastidiousness (noun) ; fastidiously (adv)

The chef was so fastidious; no one could stand to work with him.

Fervor

noun- strong passion

Also used as: Fervidness (noun) ; fervidly (adv)

After the women՚s claim of a miraculous cure the town was swept up by religious fervor.

Fickle

adj- lacking loyalty; unpredictably changeable erratic

Also used as: Fickleness (noun)

Audiences we fickle, which is why many celebrities fade from view.

Flaccid

adj- lacking firmness; soft; limp

Also used as: Flaccidly (adv) ; flaccidity (noun)

After months away from the gym the weightlifter՚s arms had become flaccid

Foresight

noun- the ability to see ahead, anticipate, or predict

Also used as: Foresighted (adj) ; forsee (verb)

Even though it was a sunny morning she had the foresight to take an umbrella to work.

Frugal

adj- careful with money; thrifty

Also used as: Frugality (noun) ; frugally (adv)

A frugal shopper will wait for sales before buying.

Flagrant

adj- openly and obviously evil; glaring; conspicuous

Also used as: Flagrantly- adv; flagrancy- noun

The attack was a. flagrant violation of the treaty.

Fledgling

noun- beginner, naïve

The fledgling pilot flew solo for the first time.

Flippancy

noun- treating a serious situation with arrogant humor or disrespect.

Also used as: Flippant- adj; flippantly- adv

Hal՚s flippant attitude after his arrest only angered the police more.

Foment

verb- to stir into action; rouse; incite

Also used as: Fomentation- noun

Note: don՚t confuse with: ferment, which is a chemical process.

The college student was arrested and accused of trying to foment a riot.

Fulminate

verb- to explode either with sound or anger to burst into anger

Also used as: Fulmination- noun

He fulminated against his error prone employee.

Furtive

adj- sneaky; secretive

Also used as: Furtiveness- noun; furtively- adv

Three hours late he tiptoed furtively into the house.