Reading...
Play button
Play button
Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
60 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
utopia
|
fantasy land, ideal place, state, or society. Fed up with this imperfect universe, Don would liked to run off to Shangri-la or some other imaginary utopia.
|
|
|
usury
|
lending money at illegal rates of interest. The loan shark was found guilty of usury.
|
|
|
usurp
|
seize another's power or rank. The revolution ended when the victorious rebel general succeeded in his attempt to ursurp the throne.
|
|
|
ursine
|
bearlike; pertaining to a bear. Because of its ursine appearance, the great panda has been identified with the bear;s actually, it's closely related to the raccoon.
|
|
|
urchin
|
mischievous child (Usually a boy). Get out! This store is no place for grubby urchins.
|
|
|
urbane
|
suave; refined; elegant. The ocurtier was urbane and sophisticated.
|
|
|
upshot
|
outcome. The upshot of the rematch was that the former champino proved that he still possessed all the skills of his youth.
|
|
|
uproarious
|
marked by commotion; extremely funny; very noisy. The uproarious comedy hit Ace Ventura: pet Detective starred Jim Carrey; whose comic mugging provoked gales of uproarious laughter from audiences coast to coast.
|
|
|
upbraid
|
severly scold; reprimand. Not only did Miss Minchin upbraid Ermengarde for her disobedience, but also she hung her up by her braids from a coatrack in the classroom.
|
|
|
unwonted
|
unaccustomed. He hestitated to assume the unwonted role of master of ceremonies at the dinner.
|
|
|
unwitting
|
unintentional; notknowing. SHe was the unwitting tool of the swindlers.
|
|
|
unwieldy
|
awkward; cumbersome; unmanageable. The large carton was so unwieldy that the movers had trouble getting it up the stars.
|
|
|
unwarranted
|
unjustified; groundless; undeserved. our assumption that I would accept your proposal is unwarranted. sir; I do not want to marry you at all. We could not understand Martin's unwarranted rudeness to his mother's guests.
|
|
|
untrammeled
|
without limits or restrictions; unrestrained. The first principle of a free society is an untrammeled flow of words in an open forum
|
|
|
untoward
|
unfortunately or unlucky; adverse; unexpected. Trying to sneak out of the house, HUck had a mst untoward encounter with Miss Watson, who thwarted his escape.
|
|
|
untenable
|
indefensible, not be able to maintained or fix. Wayne is so contrary that, the more untenable a position is, the harder he'll try to defend it.
|
|
|
unseemly
|
unbecoming, indecent; in poor taste. When Seymour ot whoopee cushions on all the seats in the funeral parlor, his condusct was most unseemly.
|
|
|
unsavory
|
distasteful; morally offensive. People with unsavory reputations should not be allowed to work with young children.
|
|
|
unruly
|
disobedient; lawless. The only way to curb this unruly mob is to use tear gas.
|
|
|
unrequited
|
not reciprocated. Suffering the pangs of unrequited love, Olivia rebukes Cesario for his hardheartedness.
|
|
|
unravel
|
solve, disentrangle. With equal ease Miss Marple unraveled tangled alls of yarn and baffling murder mysteries.
|
|
|
unprepossessing
|
unattractive. During adolescence many attractive young people somehow acquire the false notion that their appearance is unprepossessing.
|
|
|
unprecedented
|
novel, unparalleled, unusual. For a first novel, Margaret Mitchell's book Gone with the Wind was an unprecedented success.
|
|
|
unpalatable
|
distasteful; disagreeable. "I refuse to swallow your conclusion,' she said, finding his logic unapalatable.
|
|
|
unobtrusive
|
inconspicuous; not blatant Reluctant to attract notice, the governess took a chair in a far corner of the room and tried to be as unobtrusive as possible.
|
|
|
unmitigated
|
unrelieved or immoderatel absolute. After four days of unmitigated heat, I was ready to collapse from heat prostration. The congresswoman's husband was an unmitigated jerk; not only did he abandon her, but also he took her campagin funds!
|
|
|
unkempt
|
disheveled; uncared for in appearance. Jeremy hated his neighbor's unkempt lawn; he thought its neglected appearance had a detrimental effect on neighborhood property values.
|
|
|
universal
|
characterizing of affecting all; present everywhere. At first, no one shared Christopher's opions; his theory that the world was roundw as met with universal disdain.
|
|
|
unison
|
unity of pitch; complete accord. The choir sang in unison
|
|
|
unique
|
without an equal, single kind
|
|
|
unintimadating
|
unfrightening. Though Phil had expected to feel overawed when he met JOe Montana, he found the world-famus quarterback friendly and unintimadating.
|
|
|
uninhibited
|
unrepressed. The congregation was shocked by her uninhibited laughter during the sermon.
|
|
|
unimpeachable
|
blameless and exemplary. Her conduct in office was unimpeachable and her record is spotless.
|
|
|
unilateral
|
one-sided. This legislation is unilateral since it binds only one party in the controversy.
|
|
|
uniformity
|
sameness; monotony. At Persons magazine, we sgtrive for uniformity of style; as a result, all our writers wind up sounding exactly alike.
|
|
|
unguent
|
ointment. Apply this unguent to the sore muscles before retiring.
|
|
|
ungainly
|
awkward; clumsy, unwieldy. "If you want to konw whether NIck's an ungainly dancer, check out my bruised feet,' said NOra. Anyone whoe has ever tried to carry a bass fiddle knows it's an ungainly instrument.
|
|
|
unfrock
|
to strip a priest or minister of church authority. To disbar a lawyer, to unfrock a priest, to suspend a doctor's license to practice-these are extreme steps that the authorities should take only after careful consideration.
|
|
|
unfledged
|
immature. It is hard for an unfledged writer to find a sympathetic publisher.
|
|
|
unfettered
|
liberated; freed fro mchains. Chained to the wall for months on end, the hostage despaired that he would ever be unfetted.
|
|
|
unfeigned
|
genuine, real. She turned so pale that I am sure her surprise was unfeigned.
|
|
|
unfaltering
|
steadfast. She approached the guillontine with unfaltering steps.
|
|
|
unexceptionable
|
not offering any basis for critcism; entirely acceptable. Objecting to Jack's lack of respectable family background, Lady Bracknell declared that Cecily could marry only a man of unexpectionable lineage and character.
|
|
|
unequivocal
|
plain; obvious. My answer to your proposal is an unequivocal and absolute: "NO".
|
|
|
unearthly
|
not earthly; weird. There is an unearthly atmosphere in her work that amazes the casual observer.
|
|
|
unearth
|
dig up. When they unearthed the city, the archeologists found many relics of an ancient civilization.
|
|
|
undulating
|
moving with a wavelike motion. The Hilo Hula Festival featured an undulating sea of grass skirts.
|
|
|
underscore
|
emphasize. Addressing the jogging class, Kim underscored the importance to runners of good nutrition.
|
|
|
undermine
|
weaken; sap. The recent corruption scandals have undermined many people's faith in the city government.
|
|
|
underlying
|
fundamental; lying below. The underlying cause of the student riot was not the strict curfew rule but hte moldy cafeteria food. Miss Marple seems a sweet little old ladyat first, but an iron will underlies that asoft and fluffy facade.
|
|
|
unctuous
|
oily; bland; insincerely suave. Uriah Heep disguised his nefarious actions by unctuous protestations of his 'umility'.
|
|
|
unction
|
the act of anoiting with oil. The anointing with oil of a person near death is called extreme unction.
|
|
|
uncouth
|
outlandish; clumsy borrish. Most biographers portray Lincoln as an uncouth and ungainly young man.
|
|
|
unconscionable
|
unscrupulous; excessive. She found the loan shark's demands unconscinabe and impossible to meet
|
|
|
uncanny
|
strane; mysterious. You have the uncanny knack of reading my innermost thoughts.
|
|
|
unbridled
|
violent. She had a sudden fit of unbridled rage.
|
|
|
unassuming
|
modest. He is so unassuming that some people fail to realize how great a man he really is.
|
|
|
unassuaged
|
unsatisfied; not soothed. Her anger is unassuaged by your apology.
|
|
|
unassailable
|
not subject to question; not open to attack. Penelope's virtue was unassailable; whie she waited for her husband to come back from the war, no other guy had a chance.
|
|
|
unanimity
|
complete agreement. We were surprised by the unanimity with which our proposals were accepted by the different groups.
|
