understood (without actually being expressed); not put into words; Ex. tacit agreement
taciturn
habitually silent; talking little
tactile
pertaining to the organs or sense of touch
tact
skill or sensitivity in dealing with people without causing offence
taint
contaminate; cause to lose purity; modify with a trace of something bad; Ex. tainted reputation; N: stain; touch of decay or bad influence; CF. touch
talisman
charm; object believed to give supernatural powers to or protect its bearer
talon
claw of bird
tangential
only slightly connected; not central; peripheral; digressing; showing divergence; CF. tangent
tangible
able to be touched; real; concrete; palpable; possible to realize or understand; Ex. tangible proof
tanner
person who turns animal hides into leather
tan
convert (hide) into leather; make brown by exposure to the sun
tantalize
tease; excite by exposing something desirable while keeping it out of reach; torture with disappointment; CF. Tantalus: Greek mythological figure
tantamount
equivalent in effect or value; Ex. This invasion is tantamount to a declaration of war; CF. amount
tantrum
fit of bad temper; fit of petulance; caprice; Ex. The child went into tantrums.
taper
very thin candle; gradual decrease in the width of a long object; V. make or become gradually narrower toward one end
tarantula
venomous spider
tarry
linger; delay in starting or going; dawdle
taut
tight; strained; tense; ready; OP. slack
tautological
needlessly repetitious; Ex. ``It was visible to the eye''; N. tautology: needless repetition of the same sense; statement that is always true
tawdry
cheap and gaudy; Ex. tawdry jewelry
taxonomist
specialist in classifying (animals
tedium
boredom; weariness; ADJ. tedious
teetotalism
practice of abstaining totally from alcoholic drinks; N. teetotaler;; ADJ. teetotal; CF. T + total
temerity
boldness; nerve; rashness; Ex. temerity to ask for a pay increase after only three day's work
temper
moderate; make less severe; tone down or restrain; toughen (steel) as by alternate heating and cooling
temperament
characteristic frame of mind; disposition; emotional excess; ADJ. temperamental: of temperament; having frequent changes of temper; Ex. temperamental dislike of sports; Ex. temperamental actress
temperate
moderate; restrained; self-controlled; moderate in respect to temperature; CF. temperance: moderation and self-restraint; abstinence of alcoholic drinks; Ex. temperance society
tempestuous
stormy; violent; impassioned; N. tempest: violent storm
tempo
speed of music
temporal
of time; not lasting forever; limited by time; temporary; secular; worldly
temporize
gain time as by postponing an action; avoid committing oneself
tenacious
holding fast (as to a belief); persistent
tenacity
firmness; persistence
tendentious
promoting a particular point of view; biased; having an aim; designed to further a cause; Ex. tendentious rather than truth-seeking; CF. tend: move in a certain direction
tender
offer formally; extend; Ex. tender one's resignation/the exact fare; N: formal offer; money; Ex. legal tender; ADJ: young and vulnerable; sensitive to the touch; sore; soft; delicate; Ex. child of tender years; Ex. tender wound
tenet
doctrine; dogma
tensile
capable of being stretched; of tension; Ex. tensile rubber
tension
stretching; condition of being stretched; mental strain; strained relationship between groups or people
tentative
not fully worked out or developed; provisional; experimental; uncertain; hesitant; not definite or positive; Ex. tentative agreement/reply
tenuous
thin; slim; rare
tenure
holding of an office or real estate; time during which such an office is held
tepid
lukewarm; slightly warm; �������; half-hearted; not eager; Ex. tepid reaction to the new film; Ex. tepid supporter
termination
end; V. terminate
terminology
terms used in a science or art; study of nomenclature
terminus
last stop of railroad; end
terminal
part that forms the end; railroad or bus station; ADJ. forming an end; ending in death; fatal; Ex. terminal cancer
terrestrial
on or relating to the earth
terse
concise; abrupt; pithy
tertiary
third in order or rank
tessellated
mosaic; inlaid; Ex. tessellated pattern
testator
maker of a will; CF. testatrix
testy
irritable; impatient and bad-tempered; short-tempered; N. testiness
tether
tie (an animal) with a rope or tether; N: rope or chain to which an animal is tied; limit of one's endurance; Ex. the end of one's tether
thematic
of a theme; relating to a unifying motif or idea
theocracy
government run by religious leaders
theoretical
based on theory; not practical or applied; hypothetical
therapeutic
curative; N. therapy
thermal
pertaining to heat; producing heat; warm; Ex. thermal bath; N: rising current of warm air
thespian
pertaining to drama; N: actor or actress
drama
prose or verse composition to be performed by actors; play; exciting and unusual situation
thrall
slave; bondage; slavery; Ex. Her beauty held him in thrall; CF. enthrall
threadbare
worn through till the threads show; shabby and poor; hackneyed; Ex. threadbare excuses
thrifty
careful about money; economical; N. thrift
thrive
prosper; flourish
throes
violent anguish
throng
crowd (of people or things); V.
throttle
strangle; regulate the speed of with a throttle; N: valve that regulates the flow; CF. throat ?
strangle
kill by choking or suffocating; suppress
thwart
block or hinder; baffle; frustrate
tightwad
miser; excessively frugal person
tiller
handle used to move boat's rudder (to steer)
timbre
quality of a musical tone produced by a musical instrument (which distinguishes it from others of the same pitch)
promote or publicize (one's goods or service); praise excessively (as a form of advertisement); CF. advertise
toxic
poisonous; N. toxicity
tract
propaganda pamphlet (esp. by a religious or political group); expanse of land; region of indefinite size; system of related organs; Ex. digestive tract
tractable
docile; easily managed; (of something) easily changed or molded; N. tractability
traduce
expose to slander
trajectory
path taken by a projectile; Ex. trajectory of a bullet
elevation
elevated position; altitude; height; flat upright side of a building; angle made by pointing a gun; Ex. The elevation of her style is much admired; Ex. front elevation of the house
tranquillity
calmness; peace
transcendent
exceeding ordinary limits; superior; surpassing; V. transcend: go beyond; exceed; surpass; N. transcendancy
transcendental
going beyond common thought or ideas; impossible to understand by practical experiences or practices; known only by studying thoughts or intuition; OP. empirical; CF. transcendentalism
transcribe
copy; write a copy of; N. transcription
transgression
violation of a law; sin; V. transgress: go beyond (a limit); violate; do wrong
transient
staying for a short time; momentary; temporary; N: one that is transient
transition
going from one state of action to another
transitory
transient; impermanent; fleeting; N. transitoriness
translucent
partly transparent
transmute
transform; change; convert to something different
transparent
permitting light to pass through freely; easily detected; obvious; clear; Ex. transparent lie
transpire
(of a fact) become known; be revealed; happen; give off (watery waste matter) through pores
transport
strong emotion; rapture; Ex. in a transport/transports of; V: move to strong emotion; enrapture
trappings
outward decorations; ornaments (as an outward sign of rank)
traumatic
(of an experience) deeply shocking; pertaining to an injury caused by violence; N. trauma: serious wound; emotional shock that causes lasting psychological damage
travail
strenuous work; toil; painful labor; labor of childbirth
traverse
go through or across
travesty
copy or example of something that completely misrepresents the true nature of the real thing; comical parody or imitation; treatment aimed at making something appear ridiculous; Ex. travesty of justice; OP. paragon
treatise
article treating a subject systematically and thoroughly
trek
travel; journey; V: make a long difficult journey
tremor
trembling; slight quiver (as of the earth or from nervous agitation)
tremulous
trembling; wavering
trenchant
cutting; incisive; keen
furrow
long shallow trench made by a plow; deep wrinkle in the skin; V.
trepidation
fear; nervous apprehension
tribulation
suffering; ordeal; distress; trial
tribunal
court of justice
tribune
official of ancient Rome elected by the plebians to protect their rights; protector of the people
tribute
tax levied by a ruler; payment made by one nation to another in acknowledgment of submission; mark of respect (such as praise or gift); Ex. pay tribute to
trident
three-pronged spear
prong
pointed projecting part
trifling
trivial; unimportant
trifle
something of little importance or value; small amount; Ex. a trifle; V: treat without seriousness; flirt
trigger
set off; start
trilogy
group of three related works (connected by a shared subject but each complete in itself)
trinket
knickknack; bauble; cheap jewelry
trite
hackneyed; commonplace
trivia
trifles; unimportant matters
troth
pledge of good faith especially in betrothal; betrothal; Ex. by my troth
trough
long narrow container for feeding farm animals; lowest point (of a wave
meeting arranged by lovers; arrangement between lovers to meet
tumid
(of a part of the body) swollen; distended; bombastic; pompous
overblown
inflated; exaggerated
tumult
commotion of a great crowd; riot; noise; uproar; ADJ. tumultuous: noisy and disorderly
tundra
rolling treeless plain in Siberia and arctic North America
rolling
(of land) rising and falling in long gentle slopes; happening continuously by stages; Ex. rolling devolution of power to local governments
turbid
(of a liquid) having the sediment disturbed; muddy; thick
turbulence
state of violent agitation; ADJ. turbulent: violently agitated or disturbed
tureen
deep dish for serving soup
turgid
swollen; distended (as from liquid)
turmoil
extreme confusion; great commotion and confusion; Ex. throw the country into turmoil
turncoat
traitor
turpitude
depravity; baseness; Ex. moral turpitude
tutelage
guardianship; training; function of a tutor; instruction
tutelary
protective; pertaining to a guardianship; Ex. tutelary deities
tycoon
wealthy and powerful businessperson; wealthy leader; magnate; Ex. business tycoon
typhoon
tropical hurricane or cyclone
tyranny
oppression; cruel government; ADJ. tyrannical: of a tyrant or tyranny; despotic; V. tyrannize: treat tyrannically; oppress
tyro
beginner; novice
ubiquitous
being everywhere; omnipresent; N. ubiquity
wade
walk through a substance
ulterior
intentionally hidden; beyond what is evident; situated beyond; unstated and often questionable; Ex. ulterior motive
ultimate
final; not susceptible to further analysis; fundamental; Ex. The sun is the ultimate source of energy.
eventual
happening at last as a result; Ex. eventual victory
ultimatum
last demand; last warning; last statement of conditions that must be met; Ex. They have ignored our ultimatum.
umbrage
resentment; anger; sense of injury or insult; Ex. take umbrage at his rudeness
unaccountable
unexplicable; impossible to account for; unreasonable or mysterious
unanimity
complete agreement; ADJ. unanimous
unassailable
not open to attack; impregnable; not subject to question
unassuaged
unsatisfied; not soothed
unassuming
modest; Ex. the champion's unassuming manner
unbridled
violent; uncontrolled; Ex. unbridled rage/greed
bridle
harness fitted about a horse's head (used to restrain); curb; check; V: put a bridle on; control or restrain; show anger
uncanny
strange; mysterious; Ex. uncanny knack
knack
special talent; art
unconscionable
unscrupulous; not guided by conscience; excessive; beyond reason; Ex. unconscionable demand
uncouth
boorish; clumsy in speech or behavior; outlandish
unction
the act of anointing with oil; Ex. extreme unction
unctuous
oily; bland; insincerely suave
underlying
lying below; fundamental
undermine
weaken gradually; sap; dig a mine beneath
underscore
underline; emphasize
undulating
moving with a wavelike motion; V. undulate; CF. und: wave
unearth
dig up; discover (facts) by careful searching; Ex. He unearthed some secrets about her; OP. conceal
unearthly
not earthly; supernatural; weird; ghostly
weird
eerie; strange; unnatural
unequivocal
plain; clear; obvious
unerringly
infallibly; ADJ. unerring: making no mistakes
unexceptionable
entirely acceptable; not offering any basis for criticism
unfaltering
steadfast; firm; not changing
unfeigned
genuine; real
unfetter
liberate; free from chains; V. unfetter
hostage
person who is kept as a prisoner by an enemy so that the other side will do what the enemy demands
unfledged
immature; not having the feathers necessary to fly; CF. fledgling
unfrock
defrock; strip a priest or minister of church authority
disbar
make (a lawyer) leave the bar or the legal profession
debar
bar; forbid; exclude; Ex. debarred from jury services
bar
railing in a courtroom; legal profession; vertical line dividing a staff into equal measures; Ex. prisoner at the bar; V: shut in or out with bars; forbid; exclude; CF. barrister