U-Z Flashcards
(38 cards)
Uncanny
UncannyMysterious; strangeIf something is uncanny, it is so mysterious, strange, or unfamiliar that it seems supernatural. If you hear strange music echoing through your attic, you might refer to it as positively uncanny.You can also use uncanny to refer to something that is so remarkable that it is beyond what is natural: as in “uncanny abilities.” This adjective was formed in English from the prefix un- “not” and canny “fortunate, safe.” The current meaning of English canny is “careful and clever, especially in handling money.”
Undulating
UndulatingMoving in wavesUndulate describes a wave-like pattern. If a sound increases and decreases in pitch or volume like waves, you can say the sound is undulating. When searching for the lost boy, the rescuers’ cries undulated through the forest.The verb undulate comes from the Latin word undula, which means “wavelet” (unda means “wave”). So any action shown with the verb undulate has that waving sense to it. If something moves in a wavy, pattern, for example, it is said to undulate. The wind might cause prairie grass to undulate, or music might cause hips to undulate.
Unfeigned
UnfeignedNot false; not made up; genuineFeign means to fake, or pretend, so unfeigned means sincere. If you greet a friend with unfeigned joy, she’ll know you are happy to see her.Unfeigned is a delightful word, pertaining as it often does to young, innocent, and trusting people––the ones who cannot hide their feelings. Who wants fake laughs when you can have unfeigned laughter? Or fake tears when unfeigned sorrow is so much more affecting? When spelling unfeigned, remember the poem: “‘i’ before ‘e,’ except after ‘c,’ or when sounding like ‘a,’ as in ‘neighbor’ or ‘weigh’.” Or unfeigned.
Untenable
UntenableIndefensibleIf something is untenable, you can’t defend it or justify it. If your disagreement with your teacher puts you in an untenable position, you better just admit you made a mistake and get on with it.When untenable entered English in the 17th century it meant “unable to be held against attack.” That sense still holds true: you can use the adjective untenable to describe any situation, position, or theory that simply can’t be defended. Untenable is a great word to use when you want to criticize something, whether it’s a flawed system or a referee’s bad call.
Untoward
UntowardNot favorable; troublesome; adverse; unrulyThe adjective untoward describes something offensive or inappropriate, like the rumors of untoward behavior that can shatter a Hollywood icon’s reputation.Untoward also describes things that are not good for you, such as untoward advice from someone your parents always said was a bad influence. Think about what you do when you move toward something: you get closer to it. Suppose you’re moving toward a goal. You are, as they say, “on the right path.” But when you add the prefix un- you reverse that, and you’re no longer on the path to that goal — you’re untoward.
Usury
UsuryPractice of lending money at exorbitant ratesUsury means lending money at exorbitant interest rates. Credit-card companies charging annual interest rates of 29% are guilty of usury, as far as I’m concerned.A good way to remember the meaning of usury is that you can hear the word use in there. Think of charging too much interest as a way of “using” someone. The sad thing about high interest is that it’s always the people who can least afford it who are charged rates so high that it amounts to usury. In the old days, if someone was found guilty of usury, they’d be flogged in the town square. Too bad the credit-card companies can’t be dragged out of their holes, because they’d surely get a similar beating.
Vacillate
VacillateTo waver; oscillateVacillate means to waver back and forth, unable to decide. You might vacillate between ordering waffles and pancakes at your favorite diner — it’s hard to pick just one when both are so tasty!Something that vacillates sways or fluctuates, often quite unsteadily. So use this verb to describe the staggering motions of a person who has had too much to drink, as well as the opinions of someone who can’t make up her mind. Synonyms include vibrate, hesitate, and waver. A wise Ethiopian proverb advises, “Do not vacillate or you will be left in between doing something, having something, and being nothing.”
Vacuous
VacuousEmpty; void; lacking intelligence; purposelessReserved for the harmlessly stupid and truly meaningless, vacuous is a smart-sounding way to describe something dumb. Celebrity gossip and reality TV is usually pretty vacuous, even if it’s fun.If someone smiles at you in a way that seems fake or empty, you could describe the smile as vacuous. An example of a vacuous comment would be a politician promising to make things better without explaining how. If something is vacuous, it’s like a vacuum — hollow, empty, devoid of substance.
Valedictory
ValedictoryPertaining to a farewellA valedictory is a speech expressing farewell, as at a school graduation. The adjective valedictory relates to saying good-bye, but almost always refers to a speech or address.Many people think of a valedictory address as the graduation speech given by the kid who got the highest grades in school — and often it is — but valedictory words don’t have to have anything to do with schools or grades or throwing your cap in the air. They’re all about taking one’s leave or saying farewell, whether it’s the president leaving office or a worker reaching retirement or a friend at a going-away party.
Vapid
VapidTasteless; dullReserve the adjective vapid for the airhead in your office that brings nothing to the table, except maybe the doughnuts. Vapid is an adjective to describe someone or something that is dull or uninspiring.”We prefer not to consider the shockingly vapid and primitive comments uttered by athletes in postcontest interviews,” David Foster Wallace wrote. The word was originally used in English in a much more literal sense, describing beverages that lacked flavor. It comes from the Latin word vapidus, literally “having exhaled its vapor.”
Variegated
VariegatedVaried; marked with different colorsSomething variegated has many different colors, as in the trees of autumn or the feathers of a peacock. Whenever you see “vari” at the beginning of a word, you know that the idea of difference or change is involved.Using vari is a good way to start thinking about this word. It’s the same root as in various, variable, varied, and variety. All these words mean something similar: lots of different versions of something. The scales of a fish can appear quite variegated from one angle and then strangely uniform from another. A tiger’s variegated coat helps it stay hidden.
Vaunt
VauntTo boast; bragTo vaunt is to brag and boast and flaunt and go on and on about how great something is. It’s over-the-top showing off, and when you taunt and exaggerate your greatness, you vaunt to the point of no longer seeming so great.From the Latin vānitāre — which comes from vānus, meaning “vain” or “empty” — vaunt is a verb for taking praise too far or talking something up too much. Even if it’s earned or deserved bragging, vaunting about something gets old and loses it impact. Other times, vaunt, as a noun, is a sure sign that a hard sell is going on — someone is talking big but can’t deliver.
Venal
VenalBribable; mercenary; corruptibleSomeone with venal motives is corrupt and maybe a little evil. Nobody wants to be thought of as venal.Venal actions include taking bribes, giving jobs to your friends, and cheating. Venal means about the same thing as “corrupt” or “corruptible.” Venal people are considered sleazy and untrustworthy. They’re often criminals. No one is perfect, and most of us have venal motives at some point.
Vendetta
VendettaProlonged feud marked by bitter hostilityA vendetta is blood feud, a quest for revenge. In Corsica, a vendetta will separate families for generations, with members of one family murdering those of the other, all to satisfy an ancient grudge.If a friend of yours breaks into your locker and fills it with crumpled up newspaper, you will not be able to hold your head up until you have carried out a vendetta. Perhaps you can tie his shoes together during French class without his noticing?
Venerate
Venerate”V. to adore; honor; respect, adj. respected because of age, character, or position”To venerate is to worship, adore, be in awe of. You probably don’t venerate your teacher or boss; however, you may act like you do!The word hasn’t come far from its Latin roots in venerari, “to worship.” Although you can certainly venerate a deity, a person can deserve it, too. Find part of the word Venus in there, meaning “love, desire” and dang, if someone venerates you, you’re doing okay. We don’t usually venerate our sweethearts; we often save it for those higher powers, or for remarkable people we’re in awe of. Mother Teresa was venerated for her work with the poor, and Gandhi was venerated for his efforts for peace, but most people aren’t venerated for normal stuff, like being someone’s sweetie.
Veracious
VeraciousTruthful; accurateSomeone who is veracious speaks the truth — like your brutally honest friend who always lets you know what she thinks about your outfits, your hairstyle, your lasagna recipe, and your taste in movies.Think of a veracious person as someone who is like a witness under oath in a court of law, someone who speaks “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” Don’t ask a question of a veracious friend unless you really want to know the answer. The adjective veracious can be applied not just to people but also to things that are true or accurate, such as “a veracious story” or “a veracious statement.”
Verbose
VerboseWordyVerbose describes a person, speech, or piece of writing that uses many words, usually more words than necessary. If you talk too much, you can be described as verbose, and so can your history paper if you didn’t do the research and are just tried to take up space with words.Near synonyms are wordy and prolix. Verbose is from Latin verbosus “full of words,” from verbum “word, verb.” As you can guess from the spelling, English verb was borrowed from Latin verbum. And English word happens to be related to Latin verbum, though it dates back to Old English and was not borrowed from Latin.
Vertigo
VertigoDizzinessIf you’re standing still but the room is inexplicably spinning, you might want to let someone know you’re suffering from vertigo — the sensation of dizziness or whirling.Contrary to popular belief, vertigo is not exactly the same thing as acrophobia, the fear of heights. However, acrophobia can result in the symptoms associated with vertigo. Interestingly, when legendary director Alfred Hitchcock created a film about a detective with an intense fear of heights, he named the film Vertigo, not Acrophobia; perhaps he thought Vertigo was catchier.
Vexation
VexationIrritation; annoyance; confusion; puzzlementVexation is both something that causes annoyance and the state of mind that results from being annoyed. The test-taker next to you tapping her pencil is a vexation. You breaking her pencil in half makes her feel vexation.Vexation can also refer to something that causes anxiety and worry more than annoyance. When the parents of the kid you’re babysitting are two hours late to return and aren’t answering their phones, that could be a vexation. You are less annoyed than worried. (Though, to be honest, you’re still a little annoyed).
Viable
ViablePracticable; capable of developingWhen something is viable, the adjective refers to something workable with the ability to grow and function properly.The adjective viable refers to something able to function properly and even grow. It is made up of the Latin roots vita which means “life,” and the ending -able which means “to be possible.” In terms of science or botany, when a plant is viable it can live and flourish in an environment such as a cactus in the desert. Consider also the Wright brothers, who were the first to develop a viable airplane after many tries and spectacular failures.
Vindictive
VindictiveSpiteful; vengeful; unforgivingIt is no fun hanging out with vindictive people, who are forever out to get back at people they think have hurt them. If you forget to say hello to them one day in the hall, they will carry a grudge against you into next week.Vindictive is often paired with mean, as in “the atmosphere of the cheerleading squad at my new school was vindictive and mean and I wanted nothing to do with it.” Vindictive rumors show a spirit full of revenge. Vindictive is from Latin vindicta “revenge.” The related Latin verb vindicare has the very different meaning “to defend or clear someone from guilt,” and this is the source of the English verb vindicate.
Virtuoso
VirtuosoSomeone with masterly skills; expert musicianA virtuoso is an incredibly talented musician. You can also be a virtuoso in non-musical fields.A politician who helps pass a lot of bills might be called a legislative virtuoso. A baseball player who hits a lot of home runs is a slugging virtuoso. Usually, this word applies to music. It’s very common for a talented pianist or guitar play to be called a virtuoso. Whatever your talent, it’s a huge compliment to be called a virtuoso.
Visage
VisageCountenance; appearance; aspectVisage is a literary term for referring to someone’s face or facial features. You may notice that some face creams use the word visage to try to sound fancier than they are.A famous use of visage is in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Brutus says: “O conspiracy/Shamest thou to show thy dangerous brow by night,/When evils are most free? O, then by day/Where wilt thou find a cavern dark enough/To mask thy monstrous visage?” Now there’s a quote that will help you remember the meaning of visage, and even give you nightmares.
Viscous
Viscous”Thick, syrupy, and sticky”Viscous means sticky, gluey and syrupy. So if something is viscous, you usually don’t want to stick your fingers in it — that goes for boogers and maple syrup alike.Not quite a solid and not quite a liquid, scientists like to say that viscous things don’t flow very easily. They glop and slug around slowly, sticking to whatever they come in contact with. Think of making a batch of Rice Krispie treats: One minute the marshmallows are solid little rounds; the next minute they’re melted into a web of sticky white goo that’s somehow attached itself to the Rice Krispies, the spoon, the countertops, your nose, the front door, and the dog.
