Vocabulary for GMAT - F

facetious
(adj.) joking in an awkward or improper manner
His facetious sarcasm was inappropriate during his first staff meeting.
facilitate
(v.) make easier; simplify
The new ramp by the door's entrance facilitated access to the building
for those in wheelchairs.
facsimile
(n.) copy; reproduction; replica
The facsimile of the elaborate painting was indistinguishable from the
original.
faction
(n.) a number of people in an organization working for a common cause
against the main body
A faction of the student body supported the president's view.
fallacious
(adj.) misleading
A used car salesman provided fallacious information that caused the
naive man to purchase the old, broken car.
fallible
(adj.) liable to be mistaken or erroneous
By not differentiating themselves from the popular band, the group was
especially fallible.
fanatic
(n.) enthusiast; extremist
The terrorist group was comprised of fanatics who wanted to destroy
those who disagreed with them.
fastidious
(adj.) difficult to please; dainty
The fastidious girl would not accept any offers as suitable.
The woman was extremely fastidious, as evident in her occasional
fainting spells.
fathom
(v.; n.) to understand; a nautical unit of depth
It was difficult to fathom the reason for closing the institution.
The submarine cruised at 17 fathoms below the surface.
fatuous
(adj.) lacking in seriousness; vain and silly
The fatuous prank was meant to add comedy to the situation.
His fatuous personality demands that he stop in front of every mirror.
fealty
(n.) loyalty
The baron was given land in exchange for his fealty to the king.
feasible
(adj.) reasonable; practical
Increased exercise is a feasible means of weight loss.
fecund
(adj.) productive
The construction crew had a fecund day and were able to leave early.
feign
(v.) pretend
It is not uncommon for a child to feign illness in order to stay home from
school.
feint
(v.; n.) to pretend to throw a punch, as in boxing; a fake show intended to
deceive
The fighter feinted a left hook just before he went for the knockout.
ferment
(v.) to excite or agitate
The rally cry was meant to ferment and confuse the opponent.
ferret
(v.; n.) to force out of hiding; to search for; a small, weasel-like mammal
The police will ferret the fugitive out of his hiding place.
I spent the morning ferreting for my keys
I have a pet ferret.
fervent
(adj.) passionate; intense
They have a fervent relationship that keeps them together every minute
of every day.
fervid
(adj.) intensely hot; fervent; impassioned
Her fervid skin alerted the doctor to her fever.
The fervid sermon of the preacher swayed his congregation.
fervor
(n.) passion; intensity of feeling
The crowd was full of fervor as the candidate entered the hall.
fester
(v.) to become more and more virulent and fixed
His anger festered until no one could change his mind.
fetid
(adj.) having a smell of decay
The fetid smell led us to believe something was decaying in the
basement.
fetish
(n.) anything to which one gives excessive devotion
The clay figure of a fertility goddess was a fetish from an ancient
civilization.
fetter
(n.) a chain to bind the feet
A fetter kept the dog chained to the fence.
fickle
(adj.) changeable; unpredictable
He is quite fickle; just because he wants something today does not mean
he will want it tomorrow.
Because the man was fickle he could not be trusted to make a competent
decision.
fidelity
(n.) faithfulness; honesty
His fidelity was proven when he turned in the lost money.
figment
(n.) something made up in the mind
The unicorn on the hill was a figment of his imagination.
finesse
(n.) the ability to handle situations with skill and diplomacy
The executor with the most finesse was chosen to meet with the
diplomats.
finite
(adj.) measurable; limited; not everlasting
It was discovered decades ago that the universe is not finite; it has
unknown limits which cannot be measured.
The finite amount of stored food will soon run out.
fissure
(n.) a cleft or crack
The earthquake caused a fissure which split the cliff face.
flaccid
(adj.) lacking firmness
The old dog's flaccid tail refused to wag.
flag
(v.) to become weak; to send a message
The smaller animal flagged before the larger one.
flagrant
(adj.) glaringly wrong
The flagrant foul was apparent to everyone.
flamboyant
(adj.) being too showy or ornate
The flamboyant nature of the couple was evident in their loud clothing.
fledgling
(n.; adj.) inexperienced person; beginner
The fledgling mountain climber needed assistance from the more
experienced mountaineers.
The course was not recommended for fledgling skiers.
flinch
(v.) wince; drawback; retreat
The older brother made his younger sister flinch when he jokingly tried
to punch her arm.
flippant
(adj.) talkative; disrespectful
The youngsters were flippant in the restaurant.
The teacher became upset with the flippant answer from the student.
flout
(v.) to mock or jeer
Do not flout an opponent if you believe in fair play.
fluency
(n.) ability to write easily and expressively
The child's fluency in Spanish and English was remarkable.
The immigrant acquired a fluency in English after studying for only two
months.
flux
(n.) a flow; a continual change
With the flux of new students into the school, space was limited.
foist
(v.) to falsely identify as real
The smuggler tried to foist the cut glass as a priceless gem.
foray
(v.) to raid for spoils, plunder
The soldiers were told not to foray the town.
forbearance
(n.) patience; self-restraint
He exhibited remarkable forbearance when confronted with the
mischievous children.
forensic
(adj.) pertaining to legal or public argument
The forensic squad dealt with the legal investigation.
formidable
(adj.) something which causes dread or fear
The formidable team caused weak knees in the opponents.
fortitude
(n.) firm courage; strength
It is necessary to have fortitude to complete the hike.
fortuitous
(adj.) happening accidentally
Finding the money under the bush was fortuitous.
foster
(v.) encourage; nurture; support
A good practice routine fosters success.
After the severe storm the gardener fostered many of his plants back to
health.
fractious
(adj.) rebellious; apt to quarrel
Fractious siblings aggravate their parents.
fraught
(adj.) loaded; charged
The comment was fraught with sarcasm.
frenetic
(adj.) frenzied
A frenetic call was made from the crime scene.
fret
(v.) to make rough or disturb
The pet will fret the floor if he continues to scratch.
frivolity
(adj.) giddiness; lack of seriousness
The hard-working students deserved weekend gatherings filled with
frivolity.
froward
(adj.) not willing to yield or comply with what is reasonable
The executive had to deal with a froward peer who was becoming
increasingly difficult.
frugality
(n.) thrift; economical use or expenditure
His frugality limited him to purchasing the item for which he had a
coupon.
Preparing to save money to send their daughter to college, the parents
practiced extreme frugality for several years.
fulminate
(v.) to blame, denunciate
It is impolite to fulminate someone for your mistakes.
Senator Shay fulminated against her opponent's double-standard on
campaign finance reform.
fulsome
(adj.) disgusting due to excess
The man became obese when he indulged in fulsome eating.
fundamental
(adj.) basic; necessary
Shelter is one of the fundamental needs of human existence.
furtive
(adj.) secretive; sly
The detective had much difficulty finding the furtive criminal.
fustian
(n.) pompous talk or writing
The fustian by the professor made him appear arrogant.
futile
(adj.) worthless; unprofitable
It was a futile decision to invest in that company since they never made
any money.