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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.
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