| |
| tablet |
small round piece of medicine; flat piece of stone
or metal bearing an inscription; Ex. stone tablet on the
wall |
| tacit |
understood (without actually being expressed); not
put into words; Ex. tacit agreement |
| taciturn |
habitually silent; talking little |
| tact |
skill or sensitivity in dealing with people without
causing offence |
| tactful |
careful no to cause offence; OP. tactless |
| tactile |
pertaining to the organs or sense of touch |
| 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 |
| takeoff |
burlesque; act of leaving the ground |
| talisman |
charm; object believed to give supernatural powers
to or protect its bearer |
| talon |
claw of bird |
| tan |
convert (hide) into leather; make brown by exposure
to the sun |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| tardy |
slow; sluggish; not on time; late; Ex. tardy arrival |
| tarnish |
make or become dull or discolored; N. |
| tarry |
linger; delay in starting or going; dawdle |
| tart |
sharp to the taste; acid-tasting; caustic; sarcastic;
Ex. tart apple/reply |
| tatter |
torn piece of cloth; ADJ. tattered: (of clothes) old
and torn; (of a person) dressed in old torn clothes |
| taunt |
deride or provoke; challenge in derision; N. |
| 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 |
| tawny |
brownish yellow |
| taxonomist |
specialist in classifying (animals, etc.); CF. taxonomy:
science of classification |
| 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 |
| tenancy |
possession of land or building by rent; period of a
tenant's occupancy |
| tenant |
one that pays rent to use property owned by another |
| tend |
have a tendency; take care of; minister; serve at;
apply one's attention; attend |
| 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 |
| terminal |
part that forms the end; railroad or bus station; ADJ.
forming an end; ending in death; fatal; Ex. terminal cancer |
| termination |
end; V. terminate |
| terminology |
terms used in a science or art; study of nomenclature |
| terminus |
last stop of railroad; end |
| 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 |
| thesis |
opinion put forward and supported by reasoned arguments |
| thespian |
pertaining to drama; N: actor or actress |
| thrall |
slave; bondage; slavery; Ex. Her beauty held him in
thrall; CF. enthrall |
| thrash |
beat with a whip or flail; defeat utterly; talk about
thoroughly in order to find the answer; move wildly or
violently; Ex. The fishes thrashed about in the net. |
| threadbare |
worn through till the threads show; shabby and poor;
hackneyed; Ex. threadbare excuses |
| threat |
sign or warning (of coming danger); Ex. threat of rain;
V: express a threat; give warning of (something bad);
Ex. The cloud threatens rain. |
| thresh |
beat (cereal plants) with a machine or flail to separate
the grains from the straw |
| thrifty |
careful about money; economical; N. thrift |
| thrive |
prosper; flourish |
| throb |
(of a heart or machine) beat rapidly or violently;
N. Ex. hearthrob: heartbeat; sweetheart |
| 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 ? |
| thwart |
block or hinder; baffle; frustrate |
| tickle |
touch (the body) lightly so as to cause laughter; please |
| 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) |
| timidity |
lack of self-confidence or courage |
| timorous |
fearful; timid; demonstrating fear |
| tinge |
give a slight degree of a color or quality to; N: slight
degree of a color or quality; Ex. tinged with grey/jealousy |
| tint |
slight degree of color; V: give a tint to |
| tipple |
drink (alcoholic beverages) frequently; N: alcoholic
drink |
| tirade |
long angry denunciatory speech; diatribe; harangue;
extended scolding; denunciation |
| titanic |
gigantic; N. titan |
| tithe |
tax of one-tenth (contributed to a church); V: pay
a tithe |
| titillate |
tickle; excite pleasantly; Ex. not to titillate the
audience but to enlighten it |
| title |
name (of a book, film, etc.); mark of rank; formal
appellation as of rank or office (such as Lord or General);
right or claim to possession; championship; Ex. title
as head of the family; Ex. title to the estate |
| titter |
nervous giggle; nervous laugh; V. |
| titular |
of a title; in name only; nominal; having the title
of an office without the obligations; Ex. titular head
of the company |
| toady |
servile flatterer; yes man; sycophant; V: be a toady
to; fawn |
| toga |
Roman outer robe |
| token |
outward sign; Ex. a token of our gratitude |
| toll |
sound (a large bell) slowly at regular intervals; N:
sound of a bell; fixed tax or charge |
| tome |
large volume; book |
| tonsure |
shaving of the head especially by person entering religious
orders; V. |
| topography |
physical features of a region (such as the shape and
height); CF. topo-: place |
| topple |
become unsteady and fall down |
| torpedo |
underwater explosive apparatus; V. |
| torpor |
lethargy; sluggishness; dormancy; ADJ. torpid: lethargic;
lazy; inactive; (of an animal) dormant; hibernating |
| torque |
twisting force; force producing rotation |
| torrent |
rushing stream; flood; Ex. The rain fell in torrents. |
| torrid |
(of weather) hot or scorching; passionate; Ex. torrid
love affairs |
| torso |
trunk of statue with head and limbs missing; human
trunk |
| tortuous |
winding; full of curves; Ex. tortuous mountain road |
| toss |
throw lightly; move or lift (the head) with a sudden
motion; flip (a coin) to decide something |
| totem |
animal, plant, or natural object serving as a symbol
of a clan or family; representation of this; Ex. totem
pole |
| totter |
shake or move unsteadily; sway as if about to fall |
| touching |
causing a feeling of pity or sympathy; pathetic; V.
touch: cause to feel pity or sympathy; ADJ. touched |
| touchstone |
stone used to test the fineness of gold alloys; criterion;
standard |
| touchy |
oversensitive; easily offended; irasible; delicate;
needing delicate handling; Ex. touchy situation |
| tout |
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 |
| tramp |
walk with a heavy step; travel on foot; N: vagrant;
one who travels aimlessly about; long walk; sound of heavy
walking |
| trample |
step heavily with the feet; crush under the feet |
| trance |
hypnotic state; ecstatic state; detachment from one's
physical surrounding (as in contemplation or daydreaming);
CF. transition |
| 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 |
| transpose |
reverse the order or position of |
| 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 |
| tread |
walk; trample; N: grooved face of a tire; horizontal
part of a step |
| treasure |
keep as precious; cherish |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| trickle |
flow in drops or in a thin stream; N. |
| trickster |
person who cheats people |
| trident |
three-pronged spear |
| trifle |
something of little importance or value; small amount;
Ex. a trifle; V: treat without seriousness; flirt |
| trifling |
trivial; unimportant |
| trigger |
set off; start |
| trilogy |
group of three related works (connected by a shared
subject but each complete in itself) |
| trim |
make neat or tidy by clipping; reduce by removing what
is unnecessary; ornament; decorate (round the edges);
Ex. trim the cost; Ex. jacket trimmed with fur; N. ADJ:
tidy; in good order |
| 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, business cycle, etc.); long narrow depression
as between waves |
| truculence |
aggressiveness; ferocity; ADJ. truculent: aggressive;
pugnacious; fierce |
| truism |
self-evident truth |
| truncate |
cut the top off; shorten |
| trunk |
main wooden stem of a tree; human body excluding the
head and limbs; torso; prehensile nose of an elephant |
| tryst |
meeting arranged by lovers; arrangement between lovers
to meet |
| tumid |
(of a part of the body) swollen; distended; bombastic;
pompous |
| tumult |
commotion of a great crowd; riot; noise; uproar; ADJ.
tumultuous: noisy and disorderly |
| tundra |
rolling treeless plain in Siberia and arctic North
America |
| 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 |
