| |
| ubiquitous |
being everywhere; omnipresent; N. ubiquity |
| ulcer |
sore place appearing on the skin inside or outside
the body; Ex. stomach ulcer; ADJ. ulcerous; V. ulcerate |
| 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. |
| 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 |
| uncanny |
strange; mysterious; Ex. uncanny knack |
| unceremonious |
not done politely without due formalities |
| 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 |
| underhand(underhanded) |
done slyly and secretly (being dishonest) |
| underlying |
lying below; fundamental |
| undermine |
weaken gradually; sap; dig a mine beneath |
| underscore |
underline; emphasize |
| understate |
state with less truth than seems warranted by the facts;
Ex. He understated the seriousness of the crime; N. understatement;
OP. overstate |
| undertaker |
funeral director; one whose business is to arrange
burials |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| unfledged |
immature; not having the feathers necessary to fly;
CF. fledgling |
| unfrock |
defrock; strip a priest or minister of church authority |
| ungainly |
(of someone) awkward in movement; clumsy; (of something)
unwieldy; Ex. ungainly dancer/instrument |
| unguent |
ointment |
| uniformity |
sameness; monotony; ADJ. uniform: the same all over |
| unilateral |
one-sided; involving or affecting only one side; Ex.
unilateral declaration |
| unimpeachable |
that cannot be impeached; beyond doubt or question;
blameless and exemplary |
| uninhibited |
unrepressed; free in behavior and feelings |
| unintimating |
unfrightening |
| unique |
without an equal; single in kind |
| unison |
unity of pitch (in musical performance); complete accord;
Ex. The choir sang in unison. |
| universal |
characterizing or affecting all; general; present everywhere;
of the universe; cosmic; Ex. universal agreement; Ex.
a subject of universal interest |
| unkempt |
disheveled; uncared for in appearance; not combed;
CF. comb |
| unmitigated |
(of something bad) not moderated; unrelieved or immoderate;
without qualification; absolute; Ex. unmitigated disaster |
| unobtrusive |
inconspicuous; not blatant |
| unprecedented |
having no previous example; novel; unparalleled |
| unprepossessing |
unattractive |
| unravel |
disentangle; solve |
| unregenerate |
making no attempt to change one's bad practices |
| unrequited |
not requited; not reciprocated; Ex. unrequited love |
| unruly |
disobedient; lawless; difficult to control |
| unsavory |
distasteful; disagreeable; morally offensive; Ex. unsavory
activity/reputation |
| unscathed |
unharmed; Ex. escape the accident unscathed |
| unseemly |
unbecoming; not proper in behavior; indecent; Ex. leave
with unseemly haste |
| unsightly |
ugly; unpleasant to look at |
| unsullied |
untarnished; CF. sully |
| untenable |
(of a position, esp. in an argument) indefensible;
not able to be maintained |
| untoward |
unexpected and adverse; unfortunate or unlucky; Ex.
untoward encounter |
| unwarranted |
unjustified; having no justification; groundless; baseless;
undeserved |
| unwieldy |
awkward (to carry or move); cumbersome; unmanageable |
| unwitting |
not knowing; unaware; unintentional; Ex. She was their
unwitting accomplice; Ex. unwitting insult; CF. wit: know |
| unwonted |
unaccustomed; unusual; Ex. He arrived with unwonted
punctuality. |
| upbraid |
reprimand; severely scold |
| upright |
(sitting or standing) straight up; honest; moral |
| uproar |
noisy confusion |
| uproarious |
marked by commotion or uproar; very noisy (esp. with
laughter); hilarious; causing loud laughter; extremely
funny |
| upshot |
outcome; final result |
| urbane |
suave; refined in manner; elegant |
| urchin |
mischievous child (usually a boy); CF. urchin: hedgehog;
CF. porcupine: pig with spikes ?; CF. sea urchin |
| urge |
drive or force forward (by causing impulses); drive
to take action; impel; entreat earnestly; Ex. urge horses;
N: impulse that prompts action |
| urgent |
compelling immediate action; pressing; persistent;
importunate; Ex. urgent in his demands |
| ursine |
bearlike; pertaining to a bear |
| usage |
act or manner of using; accepted practice; way in which
words are actually used |
| usurp |
seize another's power or rank (without legal authority);
supplant; appropriate; N. usurpation; CF. take for one's
own use |
| usury |
lending money at illegal high rates of interest |
| utopia |
ideal place, state, or society; ADJ. utopian |
| uxorious |
excessively submissive or devoted to one's wife; CF.
uxor: wife |
