This list includes 86 Hard words that start with E, from “ecchymosis” to “exuviae”. These words are generally low-frequency, polysyllabic, and often technical, useful for students, writers, and editors.
Hard words that start with E are challenging, less common English terms that expand precise expression and reading comprehension. Many derive from Greek or Latin; for example, “exuviae” comes from Latin for cast-off skins and appears in biology.
Below you’ll find the table with the columns ‘Etymology’ and ‘Definition’.
Etymology: Shows the word’s origin, root elements, and date so you can understand historical meaning and remember it.
Definition: Gives part of speech and a concise one-sentence meaning so you can use and recognize the word correctly.
Hard words that start with E
| Word | Pronunciation | Part of speech | Etymology & Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ecdysiast | ek-DIZ-ee-ast /ɛkˈdɪz.i.æst/ | n. | Greek ekdysis ‘stripping’: professional or theatrical stripper. |
| ecdysis | ek-DIH-sis /ˈɛk.dɪ.sɪs/ | n. | Greek ekdysis ‘shedding’: moulting of an arthropod or reptile. |
| ecchymosis | ek-kee-MO-sis /ˌɛk.kɪˈmoʊ.sɪs/ | n. | Greek ekkhymōsis ‘pouring out’: subcutaneous skin bruise or bleeding. |
| ecphrasis | ek-FRA-sis /ɪkˈfræs.ɪs/ | n. | Greek ekphrasis ‘description’: vivid description of a work of art in literature. |
| eclogue | EK-log /ˈɛk.ləɡ/ | n. | Greek eklēgos ‘select poem’: a short pastoral poem or dialogue. |
| eclat | ay-KLAH /eɪˈklɑː/ | n. | French éclat ‘brilliance’: brilliant success or conspicuous acclaim. |
| edacious | ih-DAY-shus /ɪˈdeɪ.ʃəs/ | adj. | Latin edax ‘voracious’: excessively hungry or devouring. |
| educe | ee-DOOS /ɪˈdjuːs, iˈduːs/ | v. | Latin educere ‘lead out’: to draw out or elicit (something latent). |
| effable | EF-uh-bul /ˈɛf.ə.bəl/ | adj. | Latin effabilis ‘able to be spoken’: able to be expressed in words. |
| effluvium | ef-FLOO-vee-um /ɪˈflʌv.i.əm/ | n. | Latin effluvium ‘outflow’: an unpleasant or noxious emanation. |
| effulgent | eh-FUL-jent /ɪˈfʌl.dʒənt/ | adj. | Latin effulgere ‘to shine forth’: shining brightly; radiant. |
| eidetic | eye-DET-ik /aɪˈdɛt.ɪk/ | adj. | Greek eidos ‘form, image’: having vivid, photographic memory or imagery. |
| eidolon | eye-DOH-lon /aɪˈdoʊ.lɒn/ | n. | Greek eidōlon ‘image’: phantom, idealized image, or apparition. |
| eirenic | eye-REN-ik /aɪˈrɛn.ɪk/ | adj. | Greek eirēnē ‘peace’: promoting peace or reconciliation. |
| eldritch | EL-dritch /ˈɛl.drɪtʃ/ | adj. | Old English/Scots uncertain origin: eerie, weirdly sinister. |
| eleemosynary | el-uh-MOS-uh-ner-ee /ˌɛl.ɪˈmɒz.ɪn.er.i/ | adj. | Latin eleemosyna ‘alms’: relating to charity or charitable giving. |
| elucubrate | ih-LOO-kyoo-brayt /ɪˈluː.kjʊˌbreɪt/ | v. | Latin lucubrare ‘to work by lamplight’: to write or study laboriously. |
| emaciate | ih-MAY-shee-ayt /ɪˈmeɪ.ʃi.eɪt/ | v. | Latin emaciare ‘make lean’: to make abnormally thin or weak. |
| emend | ih-MEND /ɪˈmɛnd/ | v. | Latin emendare ‘correct’: to correct a text or error. |
| emollient | ih-MOL-yent /ɪˈmɒl.i.ənt/ | n./adj. | Latin emollire ‘to soften’: substance softening the skin; soothing. |
| emprise | ahm-PREEZ /ˈɛm.priːz/ | n. | Old French empresse ‘undertaking’: a bold or chivalrous enterprise. |
| empyrean | em-PIR-ee-an /ɛmˈpɪr.i.ən/ | n./adj. | Greek empyros ‘in or on the fire’: the highest heavenly sphere. |
| encomium | en-KOH-mee-um /ɛnˈkoʊ.mi.əm/ | n. | Greek enkōmion ‘praise song’: a formal expression of high praise. |
| enervate | EN-er-vayt /ˈɛn.ər.veɪt/ | v. | Latin enervare ‘to weaken nerves’: to weaken or sap energy. |
| engram | EN-gram /ˈɛn.ɡræm/ | n. | Greek engramma ‘written in’: hypothetical memory trace in neuroscience. |
| enjoin | en-JOIN /ɪnˈdʒɔɪn/ | v. | Old French enjoindre ‘command’: to direct or prohibit by authoritative order. |
| ennui | ahn-WEE /ɑːnˈwiː, ɒnˈwiː/ | n. | French ennui ‘boredom’: existential boredom or listlessness. |
| enucleate | ee-NOO-klee-ayt /ɪˈnjuː.kli.eɪt/ | v. | Latin enucleare ‘remove kernel’: to remove as a whole, especially surgically. |
| ensconce | en-SKONCE /ɛnˈskɒns/ | v. | Old French enfermer ‘to hide’: to settle securely or comfortably. |
| ensilage | en-SIL-ij /ɛnˈsɪl.ɪdʒ/ | n. | French ensilage ‘to store fodder’: fodder preserved by fermentation (silage). |
| entomology | en-tuh-MOL-uh-jee /ˌɛn.təˈmɒl.ə.dʒi/ | n. | Greek entomon ‘insect’ + -logy: scientific study of insects. |
| entropic | en-TROP-ik /ɛnˈtrɒp.ɪk/ | adj. | Greek entropē ‘a turning’: relating to entropy or disorder. |
| epicene | EP-ih-seen /ˈɛp.ɪ.siːn/ | adj./n. | Latin epicenus ‘of both sexes’: having characteristics of both sexes; gender-neutral. |
| epigone | EP-ih-gohn /ˈɛp.ɪˌɡoʊn/ | n. | Greek epigonos ‘born afterward’: a derivative, inferior imitator or follower. |
| epigraphy | eh-PIG-ruh-fee /ɪˈpɪɡ.rə.fi/ | n. | Greek epigraphē ‘inscription’: study and interpretation of inscriptions. |
| epiphenomenon | ep-ih-FEN-uh-muh-n /ˌɛp.ɪˌfɛnəˈmɛnɒn/ | n. | Greek epi- + phainomenon ‘that which appears’: secondary byproduct phenomenon. |
| epizootic | ep-ih-zoh-OT-ik /ˌɛp.ɪ.zuːˈɒt.ɪk/ | adj./n. | Greek epi ‘upon’ + zoon ‘animal’: disease outbreak among animals. |
| eponym | EP-uh-nim /ˈɛp.ə.nɪm/ | n. | Greek epi ‘upon’ + onoma ‘name’: a person/place after which something is named. |
| eponymous | ih-PON-uh-mus /ɪˈpɒn.ɪ.məs/ | adj. | from eponym: giving one’s name to something. |
| equanimity | ee-kwuh-NIM-i-tee /ˌiː.kwəˈnɪm.ɪ.ti/ | n. | Latin aequus ‘even’ + animus ‘mind’: calmness under stress. |
| equivocate | ih-KWIV-uh-kayt /ɪˈkwɪv.əˌkeɪt/ | v. | Latin aequivocus ‘of equal voice’: to speak ambiguously to mislead. |
| equipoise | EE-kwuh-poyz /ˈiː.kwɪ.pɔɪz/ | n. | Latin aequus ‘equal’ + pondus ‘weight’: balance between opposing forces. |
| eristic | eh-RIS-tik /ɪˈrɪs.tɪk/ | adj./n. | Greek eris ‘strife’: prone to dispute; one engaged in contentious argument. |
| erudite | ER-oo-dyt /ˈɛr.juːˌdaɪt/ | adj. | Latin eruditus ‘instructed’: having or showing deep scholarly knowledge. |
| erubescent | er-yoo-BESS-ent /ˌɛr.jʊˈbɛs.ənt/ | adj. | Latin erubescere ‘to blush’: becoming red or blushing. |
| erumpent | eh-RUMP-ent /ɪˈrʌmpənt/ | adj. | Latin erumpere ‘to break out’: bursting forth (especially plant structures). |
| eschew | es-CHEW /ɪsˈtʃuː/ | v. | Old French eschiver ‘to avoid’: to deliberately avoid or shun. |
| esoteric | es-oh-TER-ik /ˌɛs.əˈtɛr.ɪk/ | adj. | Greek esōterikos ‘inner’: intended for or understood by a select few. |
| espial | ES-pee-uhl /ˈɛs.pi.əl/ | n. | Old French espier ‘to spy’: the act of observing or spying. |
| estivate | ES-tih-vayt /ˈɛs.tɪ.veɪt/ | v. | Latin aestivare ‘to spend the summer’: to spend a hot/dry period in dormancy. |
| esthetic | es-THET-ik /ɛsˈθɛt.ɪk/ | adj. | Greek aisthētikos ‘perceptible’: relating to beauty or aesthetics. |
| ethereal | eh-THEER-ee-uhl /ɪˈθɪə.ri.əl/ | adj. | Greek aither ‘upper air’: extremely delicate, light, or heavenly. |
| ethology | eh-THOL-uh-jee /ɪˈθɒl.ə.dʒi/ | n. | Greek ethologia ‘study of character’: study of animal behavior in natural conditions. |
| etiolate | EE-tee-oh-layt /ˈiː.ti.əˌleɪt/ | v. | Latin etiolare ‘make pale’: to cause to grow pale from lack of light. |
| etymon | EHT-ih-mohn /ˈɛt.ɪ.mɒn/ | n. | Greek etymon ‘true sense’: original form or root word of a derived word. |
| eudaimonia | yoo-die-moh-NEE-uh /ˌjuː.dɪəˈmoʊ.ni.ə/ | n. | Greek eu- ‘good’ + daimon ‘spirit’: human flourishing or well-being. |
| euphuism | YOO-fyoo-iz-um /ˈjuː.fjuːˌɪz.əm/ | n. | From Euphues (Lyly): ornate, artificial literary style. |
| euphony | YOO-fuh-nee /ˈjuː.fə.ni/ | n. | Greek euphonos ‘sweet-sounding’: pleasantness of sound in speech or writing. |
| euthanasia | yoo-thuh-NAY-zhuh /ˌjuːθəˈneɪzjə/ | n. | Greek eu- ‘good’ + thanatos ‘death’: induced death to relieve suffering. |
| evanescent | ev-uh-NES-ent /ˌɛv.əˈnɛs.ənt/ | adj. | Latin evanescere ‘vanish’: lasting a very short time; fleeting. |
| evince | ih-VINCE /ɪˈvɪns/ | v. | Latin evincere ‘to conquer/show clearly’: to make clear or show plainly. |
| exacerbate | eg-ZAS-er-bayt /ɪɡˈzæs.əˌbeɪt/ | v. | Latin ex- + acerbus ‘harsh’: to make worse or more severe. |
| exanthem | eks-AN-thum /ɪkˈzænθəm/ | n. | Greek exanthema ‘eruption’: a widespread skin rash, often due to infection. |
| excoriate | eks-KOR-ee-ayt /ˌɛksˈkɔːr.i.eɪt/ | v. | Latin excoriare ‘to strip off skin’: to criticize severely or strip skin. |
| exculpate | EK-skul-payt /ˈɛks.kəl.peɪt/ | v. | Latin ex- ‘out of’ + culpare ‘blame’: to clear from alleged fault. |
| execrate | EK-si-krayt /ˈɛks.ɪ.kreɪt/ | v. | Latin execrari ‘to curse’: to denounce or detest strongly. |
| exegesis | ek-SEE-jee-sis /ˌɛk.sɪˈdʒiː.sɪs/ | n. | Greek exegeisthai ‘to interpret’: critical explanation or interpretation of a text. |
| exigency | EK-si-jen-see /ˈɛk.sɪ.dʒən.si/ | n. | Latin exigentia ‘urgency’: an urgent need or demand. |
| exiguous | EK-sig-you-us /ɪɡˈzɪɡ.ju.əs/ | adj. | Latin exiguus ‘small’: very small, scanty, or meager. |
| exonerate | eg-ZON-er-ayt /ɪɡˈzɒn.ə.reɪt/ | v. | Latin ex- ‘from’ + onus ‘burden’: to clear from blame or responsibility. |
| exordium | ek-SOR-dee-um /ˌɛkˈsɔːr.di.əm/ | n. | Latin exordiri ‘to begin’: the beginning or introductory part (of discourse). |
| expatiate | ex-PAY-shee-ayt /ɪkˈspeɪ.ʃi.eɪt/ | v. | Latin expatiatus ‘to wander out’: to speak or write at length. |
| expiate | EK-spee-ayt /ˈɛk.spiː.eɪt/ | v. | Latin expiare ‘to atone’: to make amends for guilt or sin. |
| expiatory | EK-spee-ay-tor-ee /ˌɛk.spiˈeɪ.tɔː.ri/ | adj. | from expiate: serving to atone or make reparation. |
| expletive | EK-spli-tiv /ɪkˈsplɛtɪv/ | n./adj. | Latin explēre ‘to fill’: a filler word or oath; serving as filler. |
| expostulate | ek-SPOS-chuh-layt /ɪkˈspɒs.tjʊ.leɪt/ | v. | Latin expostulatus ‘demanded’: to reason earnestly in protest or objection. |
| expurgate | EK-spur-gate /ˈɛk.spəˌɡeɪt/ | v. | Latin expurgare ‘cleanse’: to remove objectionable material from text. |
| exsanguinate | eks-SANG-gwin-ayt /ˌɛksˈsæŋ.ɡwɪ.neɪt/ | v. | Latin ex- ‘out’ + sanguis ‘blood’: to drain or lose blood; to bleed out. |
| extant | EK-stant /ˈɛk.stənt/ | adj. | Latin exstare ‘to stand out’: still existing; not destroyed or lost. |
| extenuate | ek-STEN-yoo-ayt /ɪkˈstɛnj.u.eɪt/ | v. | Latin ex- ‘out’ + tenuare ‘make thin’: to lessen seriousness or blame. |
| extirpate | EK-stur-pate /ˈɛk.stɪr.peɪt/ | v. | Latin ex- ‘out’ + stirps ‘root’: to root out or destroy completely. |
| extricate | EK-strih-kayt /ˈɛk.strɪ.keɪt/ | v. | Latin extricare ‘disentangle’: to free from difficulty or entanglement. |
| extrinsic | ek-STRIN-sik /ɛkˈstrɪn.zɪk/ | adj. | Latin extrinsecus ‘from outside’: not inherent; external or extraneous. |
| extrajudicial | ek-struh-JOO-dish-al /ˌɛk.strəˌdʒuːˈdɪʃ.əl/ | adj. | Latin extra- ‘outside’ + judicial: outside legal process or authority. |
| exuberant | eg-ZOO-buh-rent /ɪɡˈzuː.bə.rənt/ | adj. | Latin exuberare ‘to abound’: full of lively energy or abundance. |
| exuviae | EX-uh-vee-ee /ɪkˈsjuː.vi.iː/ | n. | Latin exuvia ‘things stripped off’: cast-off skins or shells of arthropods. |
Descriptions
ecdysiast
Rare, jocularly formal term coined 20th century; literary or historical contexts discussing performance or morality.
ecdysis
Technical biology/zoology term used in entomology and herpetology; fairly obscure outside scientific texts.
ecchymosis
Medical term seen in clinical reports; formal register, rarely used in everyday speech.
ecphrasis
Literary-critical term; appears in criticism and poetics, moderately rare outside academic contexts.
eclogue
Poetic/archaic; used in literary history, classic poetry discussions.
eclat
Borrowed French noun; formal register, used in reviews and literary commentary.
edacious
Literary adjective, uncommon; appears in elevated descriptive prose.
educe
Scholarly/technical usage (ideas, implications); older/formal verb.
effable
Rare antonym of ‘ineffable’; literary and philosophical contexts.
effluvium
Used in scientific and literary registers; plural ‘effluvia’ common in academic texts.
effulgent
Elevated or poetic adjective; appears in descriptive prose and criticism.
eidetic
Psychology term (eidetic memory); moderately technical and rare in casual speech.
eidolon
Poetic/archaic; used in literary criticism or mythic descriptions.
eirenic
Rare, formal; appears in theology, diplomacy, and peace studies.
eldritch
Archaic/Gothic literary adjective; common in fantasy and horror writing.
eleemosynary
Very formal/archaic; used in legal, historical, or high-register philanthropic contexts.
elucubrate
Archaic/learned verb; appears in literary or humorous descriptions of intense study.
emaciate
Medical/literary; formal, used in clinical descriptions and literary depictions of wasting.
emend
Editorial/philological term; common in scholarly editing and textual criticism.
emollient
Medical/pharmaceutical and figurative usage; formal register.
emprise
Archaic/literary noun; appears in historical novels and literary criticism.
empyrean
Poetic/archaic; used in elevated religious or literary contexts.
encomium
Literary/academic; common in rhetoric and ceremonial contexts.
enervate
Formal, common in criticism and medical discourse; often confused with ‘energize’ (opposite).
engram
Technical psychology/neuroscience term; specialist usage in research literature.
enjoin
Legal and formal usage (court orders, sermons); higher-register verb.
ennui
Borrowed French; literary and informal registers; common in critiques of modern life.
enucleate
Medical/pathological term; formal clinical usage.
ensconce
Formal/idiomatic; used in narratives and evaluations describing secure placement.
ensilage
Agricultural term; technical in farming and animal husbandry contexts.
entomology
Technical zoology term; used in biology, ecology, and pest control literature.
entropic
Scientific (physics, information theory) and figurative use; moderately technical.
epicene
Linguistic and literary term; appears in gender studies and grammar discussions.
epigone
Literary/critical term; pejorative in art and intellectual history contexts.
epigraphy
Archaeological and historical discipline; specialist academic usage.
epiphenomenon
Philosophy and science term; used in mind–body debates and systems analysis.
epizootic
Veterinary/epidemiology term; technical and used in agricultural disease reporting.
eponym
Lexical/lexicographic term; common in naming studies and history of science.
eponymous
Literary and general usage; used in book titles and character studies.
equanimity
High-register psychological or literary term; valued in self-help and philosophical texts.
equivocate
Formal/ethical/legal contexts; common in discussions of rhetoric and politics.
equipoise
Literary/technical; used in medicine, criticism, and statistics metaphorically.
eristic
Philosophical/rhetorical term; archaic or academic, often pejorative.
erudite
High-register compliment in academia and criticism; moderately common in reviews.
erubescent
Rare descriptive adjective in literary prose and botanical descriptions.
erumpent
Technical botanical/mycological term; rare outside specialist texts.
eschew
Formal choice word in ethical, stylistic, or practical advice; slightly elevated register.
esoteric
Describes specialized, abstruse knowledge; common in academic and literary criticism.
espial
Archaic/formal; used in literary depictions of surveillance or reconnaissance.
estivate
Zoological/botanical term (summer dormancy); British and scientific usage.
esthetic
Variant spelling of ‘aesthetic’; used in art criticism and design contexts.
ethereal
Poetic and literary adjective; elevated register, common in descriptive writing.
ethology
Scientific subfield in biology; technical term in animal behavior research.
etiolate
Botanical term; also used figuratively for weakened or blanched conditions.
etymon
Technical lexical term used in etymology and historical linguistics.
eudaimonia
Philosophical term (Aristotelian ethics); used in moral philosophy and well-being studies.
euphuism
Literary-historical term for late-16th-century rhetorical style; rare except in literary study.
euphony
Poetic/linguistic term; used in criticism and composition studies.
euthanasia
Medical, ethical, and legal term; highly charged and technical in debate contexts.
evanescent
Poetic and literary adjective; common in criticism and descriptive prose.
evince
Formal verb used in literary analysis and argumentation.
exacerbate
Common in medical, political, and everyday formal discourse.
exanthem
Medical/dermatological term; technical usage in clinical descriptions.
excoriate
Both medical (skin) and figurative (harsh criticism); formal register.
exculpate
Legal and formal term; common in courtroom and journalistic writing.
execrate
Strong, formal verb; used in moral condemnation or historical texts.
exegesis
Religious, literary, and academic term; common in biblical and textual studies.
exigency
Formal noun used in policy, planning, and crisis contexts.
exiguous
Rare adjective; used in formal writing to describe scarcity or insufficiency.
exonerate
Legal and journalistic use; standard advanced vocabulary.
exordium
Rhetorical and literary term; used in speechwriting and classical studies.
expatiate
Formal verb used in criticism and oratory; suggests discursive elaboration.
expiate
Religious and literary register; common in moral and narrative contexts.
expiatory
Formal theological and literary adjective; used in contexts of penance.
expletive
Linguistic and colloquial usage; describes swear words or syntactic fillers.
expostulate
Formal, somewhat archaic verb used in moral argument and literary dialogue.
expurgate
Publishing and censorship contexts; formal and legalistic usage.
exsanguinate
Medical/forensic term; dramatic usage in literature.
extant
Scholarly term used in manuscript studies, history, and conservation contexts.
extenuate
Legal and rhetorical contexts; common in mitigation arguments.
extirpate
Formal, often used in ecology, policy, or dramatic prose.
extricate
Common in rescue, legal, and moral contexts; formal register.
extrinsic
Technical in philosophy, ethics, and science; contrasts with ‘intrinsic.’
extrajudicial
Legal/political term; frequent in human-rights and governance discussions.
exuberant
Energetic, positive descriptor; common in literary and everyday praise.
exuviae
Entomology/zoology specialist plural noun; rare outside scientific descriptions.