T

Question 1

tactile

Answer 1

(adjective) relating to the sense of touch.

The thick brush strokes and gobs of color give the paintings of van Gogh a strongly tactile quality.

tactility (noun)

Question 2

talisman

Answer 2

(noun) an object supposed to have magical effects or qualities.

Superstitious people sometimes carry a rabbit’s foot, a lucky coin, or some other talisman.

Question 3

tangential

Answer 3

(adjective) touching lightly; only slightly connected or related.

Having enrolled in a class on African-American history, the students found the teacher’s stories about his travels in South America of only tangential interest.

tangent (noun)

Question 4

tedium

Answer 4

(noun) boredom.

For most people, watching the Weather Channel for 24 hours would be sheer tedium.

tedious (adjective)

Question 5

temerity

Answer 5

(noun) boldness, rashness, excessive daring.

Only someone who didn’t understand the danger would have the temerity to try to climb Everest without a guide.

temerarious (adjective)

Question 6

temperance

Answer 6

(noun) moderation or restraint in feelings and behavior.

Most professional athletes practice temperance in their personal habits; too much eating or drinking, they know, can harm their performance.

temperate (adjective)

Question 7

tenacious

Answer 7

(adjective) clinging, sticky, or persistent.

Tenacious in pursuit of her goal, she applied for the grant unsuccessfully four times before it was finally approved.

tenacity (noun)

Question 8

tentative

Answer 8

(adjective) subject to change; uncertain.

A firm schedule has not been established, but the Super Bowl in 2015 has been given the tentative date of February 1.

Question 9

terminate

Answer 9

(verb) to end, to close.

The Olympic Games terminate with a grand ceremony attended by athletes from every participating country.

terminal (noun)
termination (noun)

Question 10

terrestrial

Answer 10

(adjective) of the Earth.

The movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind tells the story of the first contact between beings from outer space and terrestrial humans.

Question 11

therapeutic

Answer 11

(adjective) curing or helping to cure.

Hot-water spas were popular in the nineteenth century among the sickly, who believed that soaking in the water had therapeutic effects.

therapy (noun)

Question 12

timorous

Answer 12

(adjective) fearful, timid.

The cowardly lion approached the throne of the wizard with a timorous look on his face.

Question 13

toady

Answer 13

(noun) someone who flatters a superior in hopes of gaining favor; a sycophant.

“I can’t stand a toady!” declared the movie mogul. “Give me someone who’ll tell me the truth-even if it costs him his job!”

toady (verb)

Question 14

tolerant

Answer 14

(adjective) accepting, enduring.

San Franciscans have a tolerant attitude about lifestyles: “Live and let live” seems to be their motto.

tolerate (verb)
toleration (noun)

Question 15

toxin

Answer 15

(noun) poison.

DDT is a powerful toxin once used to kill insects but now banned in the United States because of the risk it poses to human life.

toxic (adjective)

Question 16

tranquility

Answer 16

(noun) freedom from disturbance or turmoil; calm.

She moved from New York City to rural Vermont seeking the tranquility of country life.

tranquil (adjective)

Question 17

transgress

Answer 17

(verb) to go past limits; to violate.

No one could fathom why the honor student transgressed by shoplifting hundreds of dollars of merchandise from his favorite clothing store.

transgression (noun)

Question 18

transient

Answer 18

(adjective) passing quickly.

Long-term visitors to this hotel pay a different rate than transient guests who stay for just a day or two.

transience (noun)

Question 19

transitory

Answer 19

(adjective) quickly passing.

Public moods tend to be transitory; people may be anxious and angry one month but relatively content and optimistic the next.

transition (noun)

Question 20

translucent

Answer 20

(adjective) letting some light pass through.

Panels of translucent glass let daylight into the room while maintaining privacy.

Question 21

transmute

Answer 21

(verb) to change in form or substance.

In the Middle Ages, the alchemists tried to discover ways to transmute metals such as iron into gold.

transmutation (noun)

Question 22

treacherous

Answer 22

(adjective) untrustworthy or disloyal; dangerous or unreliable.

Nazi Germany proved to be a treacherous ally, first signing a peace pact with the Soviet Union, then invading. Be careful crossing the rope bridge; parts are badly frayed and treacherous.

treachery (noun)

Question 23

tremulous

Answer 23

(adjective) trembling or shaking; timid or fearful.

Never having spoken in public before, he began his speech in a tremulous, hesitant voice.

Question 24

trite

Answer 24

(adjective) boring because of over-familiarity; hackneyed.

Her letters were filled with trite expressions, like “All’s well that ends well” and “So far so good.”

Question 25

truculent

Answer 25

(adjective) aggressive, hostile, belligerent.

Hitler’s truculent behavior in demanding more territory for Germany made it clear that war was inevitable.

truculence (noun)

Question 26

truncate

Answer 26

(verb) to cut off.

The poor copying job truncated the playwright’s manuscript: the last page ended in the middle of a scene, halfway through the first act.

Question 27

turbulent

Answer 27

(adjective) agitated or disturbed.

The night before the championship match, Martina was unable to sleep, her mind turbulent with fears and hopes.

turbulence (noun)