Words beginning with F

166 words

• fabricate — to invent something false and present it as fact
• fabrication — an account that is entirely made up
• facade — a deceptive outward appearance
• facet — one aspect of a many-sided subject
• facilitate — to make a process easier
• facilitation — the act of making a process easier for others
• facility — a building or service provided for a particular purpose
• faction — a small dissenting group within a larger organisation
• factual — based on facts rather than opinion
• faculty — the teaching staff of a college; also a natural mental ability
• fair — just and free from bias
• fallacy — a mistaken belief based on faulty reasoning
• fallible — capable of making mistakes
• fallout — the harmful side-effects of an event
• fallow — left unsown for a season so the soil can recover
• falsify — to alter a record so as to mislead
• falter — to lose strength or momentum
• famine — an extreme scarcity of food across a region
• fanatic — a person with extreme and uncritical zeal for a cause
• far-fetched — so unlikely as to be hard to believe
• farce — an event so badly managed that it becomes absurd
• fare — the money charged for a journey
• fastidious — very attentive to detail and hard to satisfy
• fatal — causing death, or leading to certain failure
• fatality — a death caused by an accident or disaster
• fathom — to understand something difficult after much thought
• fatigue — extreme tiredness caused by prolonged strain
• fault — a defect, or the responsibility for something going wrong
• faulty — not working properly because of a defect
• fauna — the animal life of a particular region
• feasibility — the extent to which a plan can actually be carried out
• feasible — possible to do easily
• feat — a notable achievement requiring skill or courage
• federal — relating to the division of power between the union and the states
• federalism — the constitutional sharing of power between the union and the states
• federation — a union of states or associations under a central authority
• feeble — lacking strength or conviction
• feedback — reactions to a plan or service, used to improve it
• feign — to pretend to have a feeling or condition
• felicitate — to congratulate someone formally at a public function
• fell — to cut down a tree
• fellowship — a funded position awarded for study or research
• felony — a serious crime
• ferment — a state of political unrest and agitation
• ferocious — extremely fierce or intense
• fertile — able to produce good crops or good ideas
• fertiliser — a substance added to soil to increase yield
• fertility — the capacity of soil to yield crops, or of a population to reproduce
• fervent — showing intense and sincere feeling
• fervour — intense enthusiasm or feeling
• festive — relating to a celebration or festival season
• fetter — to restrict someone’s freedom of action
• feud — a long-running bitter quarrel
• fickle — changing loyalty or opinion often and without good reason
• fictitious — invented and not real
• fidelity — faithfulness to an obligation, or exactness to an original
• fiduciary — involving trust, especially over another person’s money or property
• figment — something imagined that has no basis in reality
• figurative — used in a metaphorical rather than a literal sense
• file — to formally submit a document to an authority
• filial — relating to the duty of a son or daughter towards parents
• finalise — to complete and settle a plan in its last form
• finance — to provide the money needed for a project
• financial — relating to money and its management
• finding — a conclusion reached by an inquiry or a court
• fine — a sum of money imposed as a penalty
• finite — having a limit that can be counted or exhausted
• firm — a business organisation; also steady and unyielding
• fiscal — relating to government revenue and expenditure
• fissure — a split that reveals a deeper division
• flagrant — openly and obviously wrong
• flagship — the most important and prominent among a set
• flair — a natural talent for doing something well
• flak — strong public criticism
• flamboyant — showy and designed to attract attention
• flaw — a defect that weakens something
• fledgling — new and inexperienced, still developing
• flee — to run away from danger or from the law
• fleeting — lasting for a very short time
• flexible — able to be changed to suit new circumstances
• flimsy — weak and unconvincing
• flock — to gather in large numbers at a place
• flourish — to grow well and prosper
• flout — to openly disobey a rule
• fluctuate — to rise and fall irregularly
• fluctuation — an irregular rise and fall
• fluency — the ability to speak or write a language easily and accurately
• fluent — able to express oneself easily and accurately in a language
• fluid — not fixed and likely to change
• flux — a state of continuous change
• foil — to prevent a plan from succeeding
• following — coming after something in time
• foment — to stir up trouble or unrest
• forbearance — patient restraint in the face of provocation or default
• forbid — to order that something must not be done
• foreboding — a feeling that something bad is about to happen
• forecast — a statement of what is expected to happen
• foreclose — to take possession of a mortgaged property when repayment fails
• forefront — the most prominent position in an activity
• foregone — already decided and therefore certain
• foremost — most important or leading
• forensic — relating to the scientific methods used in criminal investigation
• foresee — to expect something before it happens
• foreseeable — able to be predicted for a reasonable period ahead
• foresight — the ability to plan wisely for what lies ahead
• forestall — to act in advance so as to prevent something
• forfeit — to lose a right or deposit as a penalty
• forge — to make a fraudulent copy of a document or signature
• forgery — the crime of making or using a false document
• forgo — to give up something one is entitled to
• formal — official and following the prescribed procedure
• formality — a required procedure with little substance of its own
• formidable — so large or difficult as to inspire respect or fear
• formulate — to work out a policy or plan and express it clearly
• forsake — to abandon someone or something one is bound to
• forthcoming — about to happen; also willing to give information
• forthright — direct and honest in expressing an opinion
• forthwith — immediately and without delay
• fortify — to strengthen something against attack or deficiency
• fortitude — courage in bearing pain or prolonged difficulty
• fortnight — a period of two weeks
• fortuitous — happening by chance, especially in a lucky way
• forum — a body or occasion for public discussion and redress
• foster — to encourage the growth or development of something
• foul — unfair or dishonest; grossly offensive
• foundation — the base on which something rests
• founder — to fail completely after a promising start
• fracas — a noisy quarrel or disturbance
• fraction — a very small part of a whole
• fractious — irritable and prone to quarrelling
• fragile — easily damaged or weakened
• fragment — a small broken-off part of something whole
• franchise — the right to vote
• frantic — wildly hurried and anxious
• fraternity — brotherhood as a shared value; also a group with common interests
• fraud — deception carried out for unlawful gain
• fraudulent — obtained or done by deception
• fraught — filled with something undesirable, such as risk or tension
• fray — a contest or dispute that one enters
• freight — goods carried in bulk, or the charge for carrying them
• frenzy — a state of wild, uncontrolled excitement
• frequent — happening often
• friction — conflict between people or between institutions
• fringe — the outer edge of something; a marginal group
• frivolous — not serious enough to deserve attention
• frontline — in the most active and exposed position of work
• frugal — careful with money, thrifty
• fruitful — producing good and useful results
• fruition — the point at which a plan is finally realised
• frustrate — to prevent a plan or a right from taking effect
• fugitive — a person who has fled to escape arrest
• fulcrum — the central point on which everything else turns
• fulfil — to carry out a duty or satisfy a condition
• fulfilment — the carrying out of something promised or required
• fulsome — excessive and insincere, especially in praise
• function — the proper role or duty attached to an office
• functionary — an official who performs a routine duty
• fundamental — forming the essential base of something
• funding — money provided for a particular purpose
• furnish — to supply information or documents formally
• furore — a sudden outburst of public anger
• further — to help something progress
• furthermore — in addition to what has already been said
• furtive — done secretly so as to avoid being noticed
• futile — producing no useful result
• futility — the quality of being pointless or without result