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erudite adj. (ER yoo dite) highly educated; learned. The professor was erudite and difficult to debate.

eschew vb. (es CHOO) shun; forego; avoid. I tend to eschew any sort of rich, fatty food.

esoteric adj. (ES uh TER ik) designed for a small group; difficult for ordinary people to understand. Only a handful of scientists truly understood the physicist's esoteric theories about the universe.

esprit de corps n. (es SPREE de COHR) in a group, a common bond that unifies and facilitates friendli­ness and cooperation. All of the runners in the charity marathon babbled together excitedly; the esprit de corps even spilled over to the spectators.

estranged adj. (e STRAYNJD) alienated. After the fight, the couple became increasingly estranged.

ethereal adj. (i THIR ee ul) heavenly or other­worldly. Also, celestial. The mysterious woman had an ethereal quality, almost like an angel.

eugenics n. (yoo JEN iks) a highly controversial philosophy or science that claims the human popula­tion can and should be strengthened by prohibiting weaker members from procreating. Eugenics theoreti­cally can strengthen genetic stock, but it may do so at the price of human rights.

euphemism n. (YOO fum iz um) a polite word or phrase used in place of an offensive one. "Darn" has long been used as a euphemism for "damn."

euphoria n. (yoo FOR ee uh) elation; great hap­piness and joy. As the home team scored the win­ning touchdown, the crowd reacted with shrieks of euphoria.

euthanasia n. (yoo than AY szhuh) mercy killing. Some believe in euthanasia for people with terminal illnesses and agonizing pain.

exacerbate vb. (ek ZAS ur bayt) to make worse; to aggravate. Insulting your opponent during an argu­ment will only exacerbate the matter.

exacting adj. (eg ZAK ting) rigorous and painstak­ing; difficult, meticulous. Filing an accurate tax return is an exacting task.

exalt vb. (eg ZAWLT) to honor or glorify. Our soci­ety tends to exalt athletes and ignore engineers.

exasperate vb. (eg ZAS puh RAYT) to madden, infuriate, or frustrate profoundly. If you're planning to have children, be forewarned; they will exasperate you at every turn.

exemplary adj. (eg ZEM pluh ree) that which is of such quality as to be made an example of or imitated by others. Her needlepoint is exemplary.

exemplify vb. (eg ZEM pluh fye) to serve as a great example or model. Michael Jordan will always exem­plify the superstar athlete.

exhaustive adj. (ex ZAWS tiv) thorough, complete. We made an exhaustive search through our computer files but came up empty.

exonerate vb. (eg ZAWN ur rayt) to prove inno­cent. The attorney announced confidently that the new evidence would exonerate his client.