The hostages were held under duress until the prisoners' demands were met.
The dutiful child grew up to be a conscientious adult aware of his civic obligations.
They spent so much money that their funds dwindled to nothing.
A dynamic government is necessary to meet the demands of a changing society.
All the talk about rich food made him feel dyspeptic.
His earthy remarks often embarrassed the women in the audience.
His fortunes began to ebb during the recession.
His ebullient nature could not be repressed.
The comet passed close by the earth in its eccentric orbit.
Some of his friends tried to account for his rudeness to strangers as the eccentricity of genius.
The minister donned his ecclesiastic garb and walked to the pulpit.
His style of interior decoration was eclectic: bits and pieces of furnishings from widely divergent periods, strikingly juxtaposed to create a unique color.
The new stock market high eclipsed the previous record set in 1985.
The ecologist was concerned that the new dam would upset the natural balance of the creatures living in Glen Canyon.
Reading the epigrams of Pope, I admire the economy of his verse: in few words he conveys worlds of meaning.
The announcement that the war had ended brought on an ecstasy that resulted in many uncontrolled celebrations.
The water in the tide pool was still, except for an occasional eddy.
Although his purpose was to edify and not to entertain his audience, many of his listeners were amused and not enlightened.
In that eerie setting, it was easy to believe in ghosts and other supernatural beings.
The coin had been handled so many times that its data had been effaced.
If we are to succeed, we must seek effectual means of securing our goals.
His voice was high-pitched and effeminate.
Nothing depressed her for long; her natural effervescence soon reasserted itself.
The literature of the age reflected the effete condition of the writers; no new ideas were forthcoming.
The efficacy of this drug depends on the regularity of the dosage.
The mob showed its irritation by hanging the judge in effigy.
Air pollution has become a serious problem in our major cities; the effluvium and the poisons in the air are hazards to life.
She had the effrontery to insult the guest.
The critics objected to her literary effusion because it was too flowery.
Her effusive manner of greeting her friends finally began to irritate them.
His egoism prevented him from seeing the needs of his colleagues.
She thought so much of herself that we found her egotism unwarranted and irritating.
She was an egregious liar; we all knew better than to believe a word she said.
Barnum's sign "To the Egress" fooled many people who thought they were going to see an animal and instead found themselves in the street.
He could not repress an ejaculation of surprise when he heard the news.
Tell what happened simply, without any elaboration.
Grinning from ear to ear, Bonnie Blair was clearly elated by her Olympic victory.
On the death of Edward King, Milton composed the elegy "Lycidas."
The detectives tried to elicit where he had hidden his loot.
The news of her chance to go abroad acted on her like an elixir.
Sometimes an ellipsis can lead to a dangling modifier, as in the sentence "Once dressed, you should refrigerate the potato salad.
An elliptical billiad ball wobbles because it is not perfectly round; an elliptical remark baffles because it is not perfectly clear.
The crowds were stirred by Martin Luther King's eloquence.
He was called upon to elucidate the disputed points in his article.
His elusive dreams of wealth were costly to those of his friends who supported him financially.
An afternoon sail on the bay was for her an elysian journey.
His long period of starvation had left him emaciated.
A strong odor of sulfur emanated from the spring.
At first, the attempts of the Abolitioninst to emancipate the slaves were unpopular in New England as well as in the South.
As a result of the embargo, trade with colonies was at a standstill.
In devoting herself to the study of gorillas, Dian Fossey embarked on a course of action that was to cost her her life.
Tales of actual historical figures like King Alfred have become embedded in legends.
My mother-in-law's stories about her journey from Russia made us laugh because she embellished the bare facts of her travels with humourous acecdotes.
The bank teller confessed his embezzlement of the funds.
He became embroiled in the heated discussion when he tried to arbitrate the dispute.
The evil of class and race hatred must be eliminated while it is still in an embryonic state; otherwise, it may grow to dangerous proportions.
The critic emended the book by retranslating several passages.
Please initial all the emendations you have made in this contract.
The use of an emetic like mustard is useful in cases of poisoning.
After his appointment to this emiment position, he seldom had time for his former friends.
The secretary of State was sent as the President's special emissary to the conference on disarmament.
He applied an emollient to the inflamed area.
In addition to the emolument this position offers, you must consider the social prestige it carries with it.
What made Ann such a fine counselor was her empathy, her ability to put herself in her client's place and feel his emotions as if they were her own.
He distrusted hunches and intuitive flashes; he placed his reliance entirely on empirical data.
As long as our political leaders emulate the virtues of the great leaders of this country, we shall flourish.
Narcissus became enamored of his own beauty.
The Vatican is an independent enclave in Italy.
Some critics believe that his encomiastic statements about Napoleon were inspired by his desire for material advancement rather than by an honest belief in the Emperor's genius.
Uneasy with the encomiums expressed by his supporters, Tolkien felt unworthy of such high praise.
Although we were encompassed by enemy forces, we were cheerful for we were well stocked and could withstand a siege until our allies joined us.
The encroachment of the factories upon the neighborhood lowered the value of the real estate.
Some people encumber themselves with too much luggage, when they take short trips.
Your gifts and endearments cannot make me forget your earlier insolence.
This disease is endemic in this part of the world; more than 80 percent of the population are at one time or another affected by it.
Everyone waited to see which one of the rival candidates for the city council the mayor would endorse.
He was endued with a lion's courage.
Keats believed in the enduring power of great art, which outlast its creator's brief lives.
Rather than exhausting Maggie, dancing energized her.
She was slow to recover from her illness; even a short walk to the window evervated her.
Although blacks were enfranchised shortly after the Civil War, women did not receive the right to vote until 1920.
"Your case has engaged my interest, my lord," said Holmes, "You many engage my services."
To receive praise for real accomplishments engenders self-confidence in a child.
John was so engrossed in his studies that he did not hear his mother call.
Your chances for promotion in this department will be enhanced if you take some more courses in evening school.
Depite all attempts to decipher the code, it remained an enigma.
Many have sought to fathom the enigmatic smile of the Mona Lisa.
The owners of the company asked the court to enjoin the union from picketing the plant.
At Camp David President Carter labored to bring an end to the enmity that prevented Egypt and Israel from living in peace.
The monotonous routine of hopital life induced a feeling of ennui which made him moody and irritable.
He did not realize the enormity of his crime until he saw what suffering he had caused.
The audience was enraptured by the freshness of the voices and the excellent orchestration.
The parents thought that their children were ensconced safely in the private school and decided to leave for Europe.
The evils that ensued were the direct result of the miscalculations of the leaders.
From the moment he saw her picture, he was enthralled by her beauty.
She always tried to entice her baby brother into mischief.
As soon as the charter was adopted, the United Nations became an entity and had to be considered as a factor in world diplomacy.
I found entomology the least interesting part of my course in biology; studying insects bored me.
Shafts of sunlight on a wall could entrance her and leave her spellbound.
