debacle violent, sudden breakdown/overthrow
debauchery intemperance, wild living
decorous in good taste, proper
deleterious (baleful) harmful, menacing
despondent desperate, hopeless
dire disastrous, horrible, ill-omened, extreme
dirge chant/song of sorrow/mourning, rites for the dead
disavow deny
disparage detract
disparaging depreciatory, derogatory, detraction
dispassionate passionless, impartial, neutral
divergent differing, deviating
doggerel loose, unskillful verse
dogma (doctrine) authoritative tenet, established opinion
dubious doubtful, questionable
eclectic drawn from many sources
edict decree, mandate, law, writ, command
effluvium escaping gas, noxious vapors
emaciation waste away, become thin/weak
emollient balm, salve, softening, soothing
enigma problem, puzzle, mystery
enmity (animosity) antagonism, hatred, antipathy
epicure one interested in fine foods
epithet descriptive
equivocal ambiguous, intentionally confusing
erratic (eccentric, fitful) inconsistent, unpredictable,aimless, spasmodic, unusual, capricious
erudite scholarly, deeply learned
escrow legal agreement handled by 3rd party until conditions fulfilled
euphemism use of nice words in place of distasteful ones
evanescent vanishing, fading, scarcely perceptible
exigent urgent
exonerate completely free from blame
exorbitant extravagant, immoderate
exploit milk, drain, exhaust
exposition (explication) setting forth meaning, explanation
extol , glorify [antonym - lambaste]
extricate loosen, release [antonym - intricate]
exuberant extremely joyful, vigorous, profuse in growth