Word Definition Example Sentence

Abate v. to become less active, less As I began my speech, my feelings of

intense, or less in amount nervousness quickly abated.

Abstract adj. existing purely in the Julie had trouble understanding the appeal of

mind; not representing the abstract painting.

actual reality

Abysmal adj. extremely bad I got an abysmal grade on my research

paper!

Accordingly adv. in accordance with All students must behave accordingly.

Acquisition n. the act of gaining a skill or Language acquisition is easier for kids than

possession of something it is for adults.

Adapt v. to make suit a new The US has adapted many foreign foods to

purpose better suit the tastes of Americans.

v. to accommodate oneself to Dogs are known for their ability to quickly

a new condition, setting, or adapt to their environments.

situation

Adept adj. having knowledge or skill Beth loves playing the piano, but she’s

(usu. in a particular area) especially adept at the violin.

Adequate adj. having sufficient Though his resume was adequate, the

qualifications to meet a company doubted whether he’d be a good fit.

specific task or purpose

Advent n. the arrival or creation of The world has never been the same since the

something (usu. historic) advent of the light bulb.

Adversarial adj. relating to hostile An adversarial attitude will make you many

opposition enemies in life.

Advocate n. someone who promotes I am an advocate for free higher education.

or defends something Environmental protesters often advocate for

v. to defend or promote cleaner energy practices.

something (usu. a belief,

theory, opinion, etc.)

Aesthetic adj. relating to beauty or The aesthetic decorations at the wedding

refined taste reception made you feel as if you were a

character in a fairy tale.

Afford v. to be able to buy He’s saving money so he can afford to buy a

v. to be able to spare new car.

I can’t afford to lose any more pencils!

Agitate v. to promote something They’re agitating for better health care.

(usu. a cause)

Allow v. to permit or consent to US law allows citizens to speak freely.

Allude v. to make a secretive She alluded to the problem at hand but

mention of something didn’t say anything more about it.

Altercation n. a noisy argument or Greg got into an altercation with a stranger

confrontation at the bar.

Ambiguous adj. unclear or vague in Her ambiguous statement made me

meaning question whether she could be trusted.

Ambitious adj. having a powerful desire Penny is so ambitious, she wants to be

for success or achievement president someday.

Ambivalence n. the state of being His ambivalence prevented him from

uncertain or stuck between immediately signing the contract.

two or more options

Analogous adj. similar but not identical Green onions are considered analogous to

spring onions.

Annihilate v. to destroy or cause The dictator sent orders to annihilate the

devastating destruction group of rebels.

Anomaly n. something different from This result is an anomaly and very rarely

the norm happens.

Anticipate v. assume to be likely to The party was just as fun as I had

happen anticipated it would be.

Antipathy n. a strong feeling of dislike Her antipathy toward the professor was

obvious: she rolled her eyes whenever he

entered the classroom.

Apex n. the highest point of The spring play was the apex of our school

something year.

Apprehension n. fearful expectation of Her apprehension to leave her house

something resulted in her missing the train.

Articulate v. to clearly express in words She articulated her opinion on the price of

the house.

Artificial adj. something made; not Many candies use artificial flavors to make

occurring naturally them taste fruity.

Assertion n. a strong declaration His assertion that sharks are mammals made

everyone laugh.

Austere adj. extremely plain He lived in a small, austere cabin in the

adj. stern and forbidding middle of the woods.

adj. relating to self-denial My boss had an austere expression on her

face.

An austere lifestyle, like that of monks, isn’t

for everybody.

Authenticity n. the quality of being real The police officer doubted the authenticity

and true instead of fake and of the suspect’s story.

contrived

Avenue n. an intangible path or The company has decided to pursue other

approach to something avenues.

Avid adj. actively interested in or Gerald is an avid soccer fan.

enthusiastic about

something

Basic adj. relating to the You have to start with basic Russian before

foundation or basis of you can move on to the advanced level.

something
Bear v. to have as a characteristic She bears a strong resemblance to your

v. to have (a child) mother.

v. to bring forth Judy will bear her first child later this year.

v. to put up with My garden is going to bear pumpkins this

year.

I can’t bear her complaining any longer!

Benevolent adj. kind, generous Many cultures believe in benevolent spirits.

Bias n. a preconception that It’s important to avoid bias when

prevents objectivity investigating a crime.

Bittersweet adj. tinged with a feeling of The ending of the romance movie was

sadness bittersweet.

Bolster v. to support, strengthen, or If we work together, we should be able to lift

fortify and then bolster the couch.

Boost n. an increase or growth The boost in profits was a welcome change.

v. to increase or make grow In order to boost profits, you need to cater to

your customers.

Brawl n. an intense, loud fight A brawl broke out at school today after one

v. to fight loudly and student accused another of cheating.

disruptively The two students brawled for an hour.

Brevity n. the quality of being brief The brevity of their time together made it all

or terse the more romantic.

Candid adj. direct, blunt Josh is candid about his desire to become an

actor.
Candor n. the trait of being honest I admire her candor, especially when nobody

and frank else bothers to speak up.

Capitalize v. to use to your advantage I’d like to capitalize on your math skills by

having your work the cash register.

Capture v. to trap or take possession The spy was captured by the enemy.

of Your painting beautifully captures the

v. to successfully represent or ephemerality of life.

imitate I was captured by her beauty.

v. to captivate, mesmerize The cops captured the criminal three days

v. to catch or seize after the incident.

Civic adj. relating to the city or Voting is a civic duty.

citizens

Clinical adj. emotionally unattached Her clinical approach to situations allows her

(usu. used in medical or to handle them more effectively.

scientific setting)

Clout n. special advantage or Children of rich and famous people often

power believe they have a lot of clout.

Coarse adj. indicating a rough The horse’s mane was coarse, as if it had

texture never been washed.

adj. lacking refinement or The queen’s coarse way of speaking

sophistication surprised the other members of royalty.

Coincide v. to happen at the same It wasn’t until after I booked my ticket that I

time realized the concert coincided with my finals.

Commission n. the use of payment to This painting was commissioned by a rich

request something (e.g., a merchant in 1589.

service or product)

Comparable adj. able to be compared This novel is comparable to Huckleberry

Finn.

Competent adj. sufficiently qualified We need to hire a competent web developer

to create a good website for our company.

Complacent adj. satisfied, with no desire Though he had never won any awards or

to change or improve even been published, he was complacent

with his life as a poet.

Complement v. to make perfect or This wine perfectly complements this platter

complete of gourmet cheese.

Concede v. to be forced to agree or With no chance of winning the battle, the

surrender army at last conceded.

v. to admit to a transgression Dan conceded to pranking his sister.

Conceive v. to imagine or come up The plan to build the city was originally

with conceived in the early 1900s.

Condone v. to overlook, approve, or She couldn't condone her daughter's

allow rebellious behavior.

Conducive adj. able to bring about or be The noisy students hardly made the campus

suitable for library conducive to studying.

Conduct v. to control or manage The group conducted their research abroad

v. to behave a certain way last year.

Be sure to conduct yourself accordingly.

Confide v. to share something She confided all of her biggest secrets in her

secretive with someone best friend.

Confine v. to put limits on; to restrict We are going to confine the use of this

drinking fountain.

Consensus n. overall agreement After weeks of debating, the panel finally

came to a consensus.

Constitute v. to form or compose (part The desire for equality constituted the civil

of) something rights movement.

Contemplate v. to think deeply about She contemplated telling her teacher about

the cheating student.

Contend v. to maintain or assert (an The president contends that the US

opinion) government will not negotiate with terrorists.

Contradict v. to be in contrast with The camera footage contradicts his alibi.

Controversial adj. highly debatable and Millions of viewers watched the controversial

causing contention debate take place.

Conventional adj. abiding by accepted She lives a conventional life in the suburbs.

standards

Convey v. to pass on or transfer I have trouble conveying my thoughts in

(information) French.

Conviction n. a firm belief in something Her religious convictions prevent her from

eating meat.
Corroborate v. to provide evidence for; to The note signed by her father corroborates

back up (a claim) her claim that she was absent from class that

day.

Counteract v. to work in opposition to This ingredient seems to counteract the

other ones.

Counterargumen n. an argument used to Make sure to include a counterargument in

t criticize or dismantle another your essay so that you can show you’ve

argument considered the topic from all perspectives.

Counterproductiv adj. hindering the Bill’s idea to take a shortcut was ultimately

e achievement of a goal counterproductive: it took us twice as long

to get to the train station.

Culmination n. the final act or climax The culmination of the performance was

unforgettable.

Cultivate v. to foster the growth of Teachers don’t just pass on new information

to students—they cultivate their academic

potential.

Decree v. to declare formally and The president decreed that Halloween would

with authority henceforth be a national holiday.

Deference n. respect; regard Her deference to the elderly makes her the

perfect candidate for an internship at the

retirement center.

Deficient adj. not enough in degree or I feel as though the sources for my paper are

amount deficient.
Demonstrate v. to do as an example Could you demonstrate the dance move for

v. gives evidence for me?

This book’s use of words such as “grim” and

“bleak” demonstrates the author’s mournful

tone.

Demur v. to object to She demurred at my request to transfer to a

different department.

Deplete v. to (over)use over time (usu. The lost campers quickly depleted their

resources) supply of food.

Desolate adj. bare, barren, empty The moon is one giant, desolate landscape.

Devise v. to come up with (a plan) Lana devised a plan to make herself famous.

Dilemma n. a problem, usually The main dilemma is whether to pay for a

requiring a choice between commercial or not.

two options

Diligence n. conscientiousness; the Diligence and confidence will get you far in

quality of being committed life.

to a task

Diminish v. to become smaller in scope The itchiness of mosquito bites usually starts

or degree to diminish after a few days.

Dire adj. hopeless and dangerous When the police didn’t explain what was

or fearful happening right away, Jane knew that the

situation must be dire.

Discord n. disagreement Disputes over money caused intense discord

in the family.

Disdain n. a lack of respect and He looked at me with such disdain that I

strong dislike (toward immediately knew the job wouldn’t work out.

something or someone)

Dismay n. hopelessness, stress, or To Nick’s dismay, he got an F on the test.

consternation Many were dismayed by the town’s

v. to fill with woe or implementation of metered parking.

apprehension

Disparage v. to belittle or speak down to A good boss is stern but never disparages his

or her employees.

Dispatch v. to send off a message or The mother dispatched her daughter to their

messenger neighbor’s house.

Diversification n. the act of becoming Lately, there’s been noticeable

diverse diversification of students at higher

institutions.

Doctrine n. a principle, theory, or Devoutly religious people often live their lives

position, usu. advocated by a according to their doctrines.

religion or gov’t

Dominion n. power and authority (usu. The country claimed to have dominion over

over a territory) parts of Russia.

n. a legal territory Puerto Rico is a dominion of the US.

Dreary adj. sad, gloomy, dull The gray clouds in the sky made the day feel

dreary.
Dubious adj. doubtful, questionable The man’s claims to the throne were dubious

since nobody knew where he’d come from.

Eccentric adj. peculiar or odd; She’s a little eccentric but still fun to be

deviating from the norm around.

Egregious adj. extremely bad After cheating on the exam, Emily began to

feel as though she’d made an egregious

mistake.

Eloquent adj. having refined or His speech was not only eloquent but also

expressive communication extremely compelling.

skills (in speaking or writing)

Eminent adj. superior or Our town made news when the eminent

distinguished; high in magician came to perform at our local

position or status theater.

Emit v. to discharge, give forth, or Plants consume carbon dioxide and emit

release oxygen.

Emphatic adj. very expressive; using Her emphatic smile told me she was excited

emphasis to ride the roller coaster.

Empirical adj. derived from experience, You need empirical evidence to support your

observation, or an claim.

experiment

Endow v. to equip or bestow (usu. a According to the myth, the gods endowed

quality or ability) him with the gift of healing.

Endure v. to withstand, sustain, or I can’t endure this wait any longer. Will

hold out against Stanford accept or reject me?

Entail v. to involve or include A doctoral program entails long nights and a

heavy workload.

Entrenched adj. firmly established Her face will forever be entrenched in my

memory.

Enumerate v. to specify or count I can’t enumerate how many times I’ve had

to remind my students when their papers are

due.

Envy n. excessive jealousy His envy of her is quite obvious.

v. to admire and be jealous of She envies her coworker's social skills.

Erratic adj. having no fixed course; The car became erratic after slipping on ice.

deviating from the norm

Establish v. to enact They established a law that made it illegal to

v. to found (a business, drive after drinking any amount of alcohol.

group, school, etc.) Our group established a new branch in

Chicago.

Evoke v. to draw forth or call up Horror movies are great at evoking fear.

Exacerbate v. to make worse or increase The doctor told me not to run as it can

the severity of exacerbate my knee injury.

Excel v. to do something extremely She was a well-rounded student but excelled

well or to be superior in especially in science.

Exert v. to put into use (usu. as Don’t exert all of your energy at once.

effort)

Exhilarating adj. invigorating, stimulating, The music playing at the club was catchy and

or exciting exhilarating.

Expend v. to use up (as in energy or Be careful not to expend all your energy in

money) the first half of a marathon.

Exploit v. to use selfishly or for profit The shoddy company exploited its workers

by paying them extremely low wages.

Facilitate v. to aid the progress of In grad school, advisors facilitate students’

research and offer constructive criticism.

Feasibility n. the practicality or The feasibility of her project was doubtful;

possibility of something she’d have to go all the way to Antarctica and

back before the school year ended.

Ferocity n. viciousness, violence The lion is just one wild animal known for its

ferocity.

Fiscal adj. related to (government) Fiscal policy is how the government uses

money money to influence the economy.

Flourish v. to prosper, grow, or make After one year, the tiny plants had flourished

fast progress into a breathtaking garden.

Fluctuate v. to be unstable; to rise and Stocks can fluctuate on a daily basis, making

fall it difficult to determine when to buy or sell

one.
Foment v. to stir up The civilians accused their leader of

fomenting political unrest.

Foreseeable adj. capable of being I can't imagine aliens visiting us in the

predicted or anticipated foreseeable future.

Frankly adv. directly, clearly I frankly don’t see the point in learning to

drive.

Freewheeling adj. carefree His freewheeling attitude often got him in

trouble at work.

Fundamental adj. the most essential or A thesis is arguably the most fundamental

most basic part part of an essay.

Galvanizing adj. thrilling, exciting, The galvanizing performance left everyone

stimulating spellbound.

Geriatric adj. relating to old age I became interested in geriatric medicine

shortly after my grandfather passed away

from cancer.

Hostile adj. harmful, dangerous The voices around the corner sounded angry,

hostile even.

Hypothetical adj. supposed; related to a For my physics homework, I must come up

hypothesis with a hypothetical situation.

Ignominious adj. publicly shameful or The politician's expensive campaign

humiliating ultimately ended in ignominious defeat.

Impart v. to transmit, bestow, or Parents must impart common sense to their

disclose children.
Impartiality n. the equal and objective To ensure impartiality, we require everyone

treatment of opposing views to follow these general guidelines.

Imposing adj. impressive (esp. in size The old mansion was imposing in its huge

or appearance) size and gothic architecture.

Imposition n. an unnecessary burden If it’s not too much of an imposition, could

you proofread my paper?

Imprudent adj. not cautious or prudent; Backpacking abroad can be fun, but don’t be

rash imprudent about money.

Incite v. to encourage or stir up Her hateful words incited anger in the crowd.

Indifference n. apathy, emotional The girl’s indifference toward her brother

detachment upset their parents.

Indiscriminately adv. randomly; with little or Lottery winners are chosen indiscriminately.

no distinction

Indulge v. to give into; to satisfy or My friend loves to indulge in cheesy romance

gratify movies.

Infer v. to guess, conclude, or You can infer from this quotation that the

derive by reasoning writer didn’t care for “pretty” language.

Innovative adj. novel or new (esp. as an Her invention was incredibly innovative and

idea or invention) won her multiple awards.

Insatiable adj. can’t be satisfied A vampire’s thirst for blood is said to be

insatiable.

Inversion n. a reversal The culture’s norms were an inversion of our

own.
Invoke v. to call on; to appeal to The shaman attempted to invoke a demon.

(e.g., a higher power)

Irreconcilable adj. incapable of being in The couple’s differences were ultimately

harmony or agreed upon irreconcilable, giving them no choice but to

break up.

Lament v. to feel sorrow for; to Susan lamented her missed chance at going

mourn to Europe with her high school class.

Locomotion n. movement Physics involves the study of locomotion.

Lucrative adj. capable of making a lot Writing books isn’t a particularly lucrative

of money; profitable career, unless you’re J.K. Rowling.

Malicious adj. harmful, spiteful The malicious spirit drove out the

inhabitants from their home.

Malleable adj. capable of being molded Children’s minds are malleable but only for

or changed so long.

Materialistic adj. superficial; focus on Many people accuse Americans of being

material possessions materialistic.

Melodramatic adj. extravagant or The melodramatic play was well liked by the

exaggerated (as of a audience.

melodrama)

Modest adj. simple and humble They moved into a modest house in the

adj. small in size or amount countryside.

I received a modest sum of money for my

help at the company event.

Modify v. to change, alter, or tweak Dr. Nguyen modified the gene so that it

wouldn’t carry the disease.

Momentous adj. historically significant Her win in the election was momentous.

Novel adj. new, innovative We are looking for novel ways to approach

the project.

Nuance n. a subtle difference in Body-language experts even understand the

meaning nuances of facial expressions.

Null adj. legally void and The government declared their marriage

ineffective null.

Objectivity n. judgment based on In scientific research, objectivity is of utmost

observations instead of importance.

emotions or opinions

Obsolete adj. no longer used; rare or Historians assumed record players would be

uncommon obsolete by now, but in fact they’re making a

huge comeback.

Omnipotent adj. almighty and all Gods are omnipotent beings who can

powerful control human destiny.

Onset n. the beginning or early At the onset of her career as a lawyer, things

stages were looking up.

Opine v. to openly express an The new employee opined at the company

opinion meeting.

Ornate adj. highly detailed and That ornate silverware must be worth

decorated thousands of dollars!

Oust v. to remove or force out of Sick and tired of putting up with his bad

(usu. a position or office) moods, the pirates ousted their captain.

Paramount adj. predominant, superior, Our paramount concern is the safety of our

most important employees.

Peculiar adj. strange, bizarre Upon entering the abandoned house, Kate

experienced a peculiar feeling, as if someone

was watching her.

Perish v. to die; to pass away According to the news, nobody perished in

the fire.

Persecute v. to cause suffering to They will persecute anyone who doesn’t

agree with their views of the world.

Petulant adj. cranky, pouty, irritable Petulant children are especially difficult to

care for.

Pinnacle n. highest level or degree Many believe that composers such as

Beethoven and Mozart represent the

pinnacle of classical music.

Pitiable adj. deserving pity The frail-looking dog was pitiable, so I gave it

some food and took it inside to care for it.

Plausible adj. reasonable and possibly Her story is plausible, but that doesn’t mean

true she’s telling the truth.

Postulate v. to assert The literary critic postulates that

romanticism and naturalism are actually

interconnected.
Potent adj. having great influence The bald eagle is a potent symbol of the US.

adj. having a strong, The potion was definitely potent—it healed

chemical effect my wounds immediately!

Pragmatic adj. practical, useful It’s not necessarily more pragmatic to study

engineering than it is to study philosophy.

Precedent n. an example or subject This change in law is without historical

from earlier in time precedent.

Predecessor n. someone who comes My predecessor gave me many tips for

before you (usu. in position running the office.

or office)

Prescribe v. to command orders The directions for our essay prescribe a

v. to issue authorization for length of at least ten pages.

medications A doctor must prescribe you this medication

before you can begin taking it.

Principle n. basic truth, assumption, or Remember the universal principle: treat

rule others as you want them to treat you.

Prohibit v. to command against, to Alcohol was prohibited in the US in the

outlaw 1920s.

Prompt adj. punctual, on time She is always prompt when it comes to

n. a cue to begin something; turning in her homework.

instructions I had to write an essay based on a prompt.

v. to incite, propel, or cause The possibility of a scholarship prompted

to act him to apply to Harvard.

Promulgate v. to put into law or formally The ruler will at last promulgate an amnesty

declare with the neighboring countries.

Prosecute v. to bring criminal action The suspect was prosecuted yesterday.

against someone (in a trial)

Provocative adj. intending to provoke, Her nude paintings are considered quite

inspire, or arouse provocative.

Qualitative adj. involving qualities of I noticed a qualitative change in her

something (features and paintings.

content)

Quantitative adj. involving quantities We must conduct a quantitative analysis.

(numbers and amounts)

Quirk n. a strange habit His biggest quirk is his love of old marbles.

Ramify v. to split into two or more Cars ramified throughout the world in the

branches twentieth century.

Rash adj. without attention to Her rash decision to pass the car nearly

danger or risk resulted in a crash.

Raw adj. unrefined He’s got raw talent as a singer, but he needs

adj. not processed; uncooked to work on his performance skills.

(as in food) In some countries, such as Japan, it is normal

to eat raw fish.

Readily adv. right away and without Water was readily available at different

difficulty points in the race.

Reconsideration n. thinking again about a The judges’ reconsideration of her

previously made choice performance resulted in her victory.

Reform n. a change for the better; The reform made it so that only those 18 and

improvement older can legally drive.

v. to improve via change The government reformed its vague policies

on marijuana use.

Refute v. to prove to be untrue, The student refuted the professor’s claim in

unfounded, or incorrect class.

Reinforce v. to strengthen or add We can use these pipes to reinforce the

support to structure.

Reluctantly adv. somewhat unwillingly Max reluctantly agreed to see the horror

movie with his friends.

Renounce v. to give up (usu. power or a Our CEO renounced her position yesterday.

position) He renounced his friend after he caught her

v. to cast off stealing money from him.

Reproach v. to criticize The mother reproached her daughter’s

school for making students come in during a

blizzard.

Repudiate v. to refuse to recognize as The father repudiated his son’s marriage.

true She repudiated her son once she found out

v. to cast off he’d married someone without telling her.

Retention n. the act of keeping Water retention can make you weigh more

something on certain days.

Satiated adj. satisfied (usu. in hunger) I felt satiated after eating a snack.

Savvy adj. having practical My brother is not very savvy when it comes

intelligence or knowledge to using public transportation.

Scandalous adj. morally offensive, often The scandalous politician decided it was best

causing damage to one’s to resign from office.

reputation

Scorn v. to look down on with It’s difficult for me not to scorn those who

disdain use improper grammar.

Scrupulous adj. paying great attention to I am a scrupulous proofreader and never

detail miss an error.

Scrutinize v. to examine carefully and The teacher scrutinized her students’ essays.

critically

Secrete v. to produce or release (a Trees secrete a sticky substance called sap.

substance)

Sentiment n. opinion I am of the sentiment that you should never

n. a tender or moving give out your passwords to anyone.

gesture Even though I’m not a big fan of porcelain

dolls, I appreciated the sentiment.

Sheer adj. so thin that light can The curtains on the window were so sheer

shine through you could clearly see inside the house.

Simple adj. easy; not complex This math problem is so simple even a first

adj. undecorated grader can solve it.

The simple beauty of the ocean is what

 makes it memorable.

Sinister adj. ominous, evil Medieval peasants believed sinister demons

could harm humans.

Solidarity n. the joining of I stood in solidarity with other female

commonalities or common students by refusing to wear the school’s

purposes among a group sexist uniform.

Sparingly adv. insufficiently, meagerly, Due to my condition, I must eat salt

or in a restricted manner sparingly.

Spawn v. to release eggs Frogs typically spawn in ponds.

v. to call forth or generate The topic spawned an ongoing debate

among his family members.

Spur v. to stimulate or incite Her bravery spurred others to act.

Squalid adj. run-down, sordid, or The squalid cabin needed a new roof and an

sleazy exterminator.

Stark adj. very plain; devoid of any Looking out at the stark landscape, I felt a

details or features keen sense of isolation.

Static adj. motionless The ball is static.

adj. changeless Her life has been static for the past three

years.

Subordinate adj. lower in rank The subordinate officers work every day.

n. someone lower in rank My subordinate will check you in.

v. to make dependent on or You aren’t my boss—you can’t subordinate

put at a lower rank me to the role of receptionist!

Subsequently adv. happening later or after I subsequently went home.

something

Substantial adj. very large in amount or I was shocked to find a substantial amount

degree of money beneath the park bench.

Substantiate v. to strengthen with new It is important for scientists to substantiate

evidence or facts their theories whenever possible.

Subtle adj. hard to detect or analyze I detected in her expression a subtle hint of

irritation.

Sufficient adj. enough; just meeting a These boxes should be sufficient for our

requirement move.

Surly adj. unfriendly; inclined to The bartender was a surly fellow who wasn’t

anger afraid to start a fight.

Surmount v. to get on top of or They managed to surmount the language

overcome barrier by using a translation app.

Susceptible adj. to be vulnerable (to Children are more susceptible to certain

something) illnesses than adults are.

Tactful adj. skilled at dealing with Her tactful attitude toward our class made

people her one of my favorite teachers.

Taut adj. pulled tight The rubberband was taut and ready to be

fired.

Teeming adj. abundantly filled (usu. Doorknobs are not as clean as they look and

with living organisms) are often teeming with germs.

Temperament n. usual mood or feelings She had a hostile temperament, making her

intimidating to most people.

Tentative adj. not yet finalized We haven’t made any official arrangements

yet, but the tentative location for our

wedding is Hawaii.

Transparent adj. see-through; so thin that Stained window glass isn’t as transparent as

light can shine through regular window glass is.

adj. truthful or easy to She was transparent about her plans to end

perceive her marriage.

Treacherous adj. dangerous and unstable The journey was becoming treacherous, but

they continued on regardless.

Tremendous adj. very large, good, or bad Tremendous news! You don’t have to repay

in degree or size your loans!

Ubiquitous adj. being everywhere at Cell phones are ubiquitous these days.

once

Unadorned adj. undecorated, plain Though the dress was cheap and unadorned,

it was by far her favorite one on the rack.

Undermine v. to weaken or subvert (usu. Parents should take care not to constantly

gradually or secretly) undermine their children.

Underscore v. to emphasize or give This sentence seems to underscore the

additional weight to overall meaning of the passage.

Undulate v. to move as ripples or in a Belly dancers are known for their ability to

wavy pattern skillfully undulate their stomachs.

Unilateral adj. one-sided The unilateral decision was deemed unfair

by the other party involved.

Unjust adj. unfair; not justified The court’s decision is unjust—he should not

go free.

Unmitigated adj. downright, utter, total My speech was an unmitigated disaster!

Unprecedented adj. completely new and The number of protestors was

never having happened unprecedented.

before; historic

Unveil v. to make visible; to reveal We plan to unveil our plans for the new

company project on Sunday.

Urge n. desire or impulse He had the urge to tell his parents about his

v. to encourage or persuade acceptance to Columbia but decided against

it.

She urged her sister to apply to Stanford.

Validate v. to prove or declare valid Your selfish actions do not validate your

feelings for me.

Viability n. ability to be done in a The viability of the solution is questionable.

practical or useful way

Vital adj. urgently necessary It is vital that you respond by the deadline.

Vow v. to promise My brother quickly broke his vow to never

eat chocolate again.

Warrant v. to prove to be reasonable Wanting to look cool in front of your friends

doesn’t warrant breaking the law.

Yield n. production of an amount The farmer’s annual pumpkin yield exceeded

v. to give way to or surrender 10,000.

to Cars turning right on red must yield to

v. to produce or supply oncoming traffic.

Our experiment yielded many

unique-looking vegetables.