Day 29 Flashcards
trenchant
forceful or vigorous, effective, keen;
caustic, sharp
even the most trenchant sword could not sever the bonds of loyalty between them
trifling
Trivial, not very important; so small as to
be unimportant; frivolous, shallow
deciding what you want to do for a living is no trifling matter
trite
Lacking freshness and originality, lacking
effectiveness due to overuse, cliché
truculent
Fierce, cruel, savage; belligerent
tumultuous
Riotous, violently agitated, marked by
disturbance or uproar; noisy, chaotic
turgid
Swollen, inflated; or, metaphorically
“inflated,” such as in overblown, pompous
speech
turgid leeches having had their fill of blood
turpitude
Depravity, baseness of character, corrupt
or depraved acts
pictorial advertisements for chic clothing and fragrances in which drug addiction and other forms of moral turpitude are depicted as alternative fashion statements
umbrage
Offense or annoyance (usually as take
umbrage, meaning become offended or
annoyed)
took umbrage at the speaker’s remarks
unconscionable
Not guided by conscience; morally wrong, : UNSCRUPULOUS,
unjust, unreasonable
Journalist Beth Shelburne brought Willie Simmons’ shocking and unconscionable story to Twitter on Saturday, in a thread that has since gone viral.
undermine
Weaken, cause to collapse by digging
away at the foundation (of a building or
an argument); injure or attack in a
secretive or underhanded way
underscore
Emphasize (or, literally, to underline text)
unearth
Dig up, uncover, expose
unseemly
Improper, inappropriate, against the rules
of taste or politeness
an unseemly interest in their host’s income and expenses
unsparing
Generous, lavish (as in not sparing any
help or gifts to others); unmerciful, harsh
(as in not sparing any criticism)
unsparing in his criticism of the welfare state
neighbors were unsparing in their charity when a local family was rendered homeless by a fire
untempered
Not toned down; not moderated,
controlled, or counterbalanced
These granules are still sharp, but should do less damage than the long shards of untempered glass.
upbraid
Find fault with, criticize or scold severely
his wife upbraided him for his irresponsible handling of the family finances
usury
Charging interest on a loan, esp. charging
illegally high or excessive interest
When the plague struck Barcelona, both explanations were used, about usury and the killing of Christ.
vanguard
Leading units at the front of an army; leaders in
a trend or movement, people on the “cutting
edge”; the forefront of a trend or movement
talk radio is often regarded as being in the vanguard of the conservative movement
variegated
Varied in color, having multicolored patches or
spots; diverse
the variegated costumes of the dancers in the nightclub
veracity
Truthfulness, accuracy; habitual adherence to
the truth
verdant
Green, such as with vegetation, plants, grass,
etc.; young and inexperienced
verisimilar
Having the appearance of truth, probable
: depicting realism (as in art or literature)
Annie’s work thus far has been meticulously verisimilar, bordering on minimalist, with depopulated nurseries and studios built of balsa wood.
vernal
Relating to or occurring in the spring; fresh, youthful
trees and flowers in vernal bloom
These beautiful acres include an environmentally sensitive vernal pool vital to wildlife and fragile ecosystems.
vestige
Trace or sign of something that once existed
the fossilized vestige of a dinosaur that traversed that muddy landscape millions of years ago
