Barrons U

ubiquitous

being everywhere; omnipresent; N. ubiquity

s wade

walk through a substance

n ulterior

intentionally hidden; beyond what is evident; situated beyond; unstated and often questionable; Ex. ulterior motive

ultimate

final; not susceptible to further analysis; fundamental; Ex. The sun is the ultimate source of energy.

s eventual

happening at last as a result; Ex. eventual victory

n ultimatum

last demand; last warning; last statement of conditions that must be met; Ex. They have ignored our ultimatum.

n umbrage

resentment; anger; sense of injury or insult; Ex. take umbrage at his rudeness

unaccountable

unexplicable; impossible to account for; unreasonable or mysterious

unanimity

complete agreement; ADJ. unanimous

unassailable

not open to attack; impregnable; not subject to question

unassuaged

unsatisfied; not soothed

n unassuming

modest; Ex. the champion's unassuming manner

n unbridled

violent; uncontrolled; Ex. unbridled rage/greed

s bridle

harness fitted about a horse's head (used to restrain); curb; check; V: put a bridle on; control or restrain; show anger

n uncanny

strange; mysterious; Ex. uncanny knack

s knack

special talent; art

n unconscionable

unscrupulous; not guided by conscience; excessive; beyond reason; Ex. unconscionable demand

n uncouth

boorish; clumsy in speech or behavior; outlandish

n unction

the act of anointing with oil; Ex. extreme unction

n unctuous

oily; bland; insincerely suave

underlying

lying below; fundamental

undermine

weaken gradually; sap; dig a mine beneath

underscore

underline; emphasize

undulating

moving with a wavelike motion; V. undulate; CF. und: wave

n unearth

dig up; discover (facts) by careful searching; Ex. He unearthed some secrets about her; OP. conceal

n unearthly

not earthly; supernatural; weird; ghostly

s weird

eerie; strange; unnatural

unequivocal

plain; clear; obvious

unerringly

infallibly; ADJ. unerring: making no mistakes

n unexceptionable

entirely acceptable; not offering any basis for criticism

unfaltering

steadfast; firm; not changing

unfeigned

genuine; real

unfetter

liberate; free from chains; V. unfetter

s hostage

person who is kept as a prisoner by an enemy so that the other side will do what the enemy demands

n unfledged

immature; not having the feathers necessary to fly; CF. fledgling

unfrock

defrock; strip a priest or minister of church authority

s disbar

make (a lawyer) leave the bar or the legal profession

s debar

bar; forbid; exclude; Ex. debarred from jury services

s bar

railing in a courtroom; legal profession; vertical line dividing a staff into equal measures; Ex. prisoner at the bar; V: shut in or out with bars; forbid; exclude; CF. barrister

s bastard

illegitimate child

n ungainly

(of someone) awkward in movement; clumsy; (of something) unwieldy; Ex. ungainly dancer/instrument

n unguent

ointment

uniformity

sameness; monotony; ADJ. uniform: the same all over

n unilateral

one-sided; involving or affecting only one side; Ex. unilateral declaration

n unimpeachable

that cannot be impeached; beyond doubt or question; blameless and exemplary

uninhibited

unrepressed; free in behavior and feelings

unintimating

unfrightening

unique

without an equal; single in kind

n unison

unity of pitch (in musical performance); complete accord; Ex. The choir sang in unison.

s choir

group of people who sing together (esp. during religious services); place for choir

universal

characterizing or affecting all; general; present everywhere; of the universe; cosmic; Ex. universal agreement; Ex. a subject of universal interest

n unkempt

disheveled; uncared for in appearance; not combed; CF. comb

n unmitigated

(of something bad) not moderated; unrelieved or immoderate; without qualification; absolute; Ex. unmitigated disaster

n unobtrusive

inconspicuous; not blatant

unprecedented

having no previous example; novel; unparalleled

n unprepossessing

unattractive

s prepossessing

attractive; CF. preoccupying ?

unravel

disentangle; solve

unrequited

not requited; not reciprocated; Ex. unrequited love

unruly

disobedient; lawless; difficult to control

unsavory

distasteful; disagreeable; morally offensive; Ex. unsavory activity/reputation

n unscathed

unharmed; Ex. escape the accident unscathed

n unseemly

unbecoming; not proper in behavior; indecent; Ex. leave with unseemly haste

n unsightly

ugly; unpleasant to look at

n unsullied

untarnished; CF. sully

n untenable

(of a position

n untoward

unexpected and adverse; unfortunate or unlucky; Ex. untoward encounter

unwarranted

unjustified; having no justification; groundless; baseless; undeserved

unwieldy

awkward (to carry or move); cumbersome; unmanageable

n unwitting

not knowing; unaware; unintentional; Ex. She was their unwitting accomplice; Ex. unwitting insult; CF. wit: know

n unwonted

unaccustomed; unusual; Ex. He arrived with unwonted punctuality.

n upbraid

reprimand; severely scold

s braid

plait; interweave strands or lengths of; make by weaving strands together; N: braided segment (as of hair)

n uproarious

marked by commotion or uproar; very noisy (esp. with laughter); hilarious; causing loud laughter; extremely funny

s uproar

noisy confusion

n upshot

outcome; final result

n urbane

suave; refined in manner; elegant

n urchin

mischievous child (usually a boy); CF. urchin: hedgehog; CF. porcupine: pig with spikes ?; CF. sea urchin

ursine

bearlike; pertaining to a bear

n usurp

seize another's power or rank (without legal authority); supplant; appropriate; N. usurpation; CF. take for one's own use

n usury

lending money at illegal high rates of interest

utopia

ideal place

s Shangri-la

imaginary remote paradise on earth; CF. Lost Horizon

n uxorious

excessively submissive or devoted to one's wife; CF. uxor: wife

n vacillate

waver (in opinion); fluctuate; sway to and fro; N. vacillation

n vacuous

empty; lacking in ideas; inane; stupid; Ex. vacuous expression; N. vacuity

vagabond

wanderer (without a permanent home); tramp

s tramp

walk with a heavy step; travel on foot; N: vagrant; one who travels aimlessly about; long walk; sound of heavy walking

s trample

step heavily with the feet; crush under the feet

s tread

walk; trample; N: grooved face of a tire; horizontal part of a step