Vocabulary List #27by: Dulcie Xue

Tentative

• made or done as an experiment

• The girl was tentative to work with the new unknown employee.

Tenuous

• unsubstantiated

• The astronomer claimed that he had saw aliens in his teloscope, but his claims were tenuous and therefore unrealiable.

terse

• neatly or effectively concise

• Rather than discussing the irrelevant details, the professor gave a terse presentation that the students loved.

thrifty

• economical management

• Due to the economic downturn, the avid shopper became thrifty and shopped at places that sold secondhand clothes.

timorous

• fearful

• The documentary about Ted Bundy was so terrifying that every person in the theatre became timorous of him as if he were still alive.

tirade

• a prolonged outburst of bitter denunciation

• At the park, a child had a tirade because her mother refused to buy her an ice cream.

torpid

• inacive or sluggish

• The neighbor’s fat torpid cat just sits by the window every single day for hours at a time.

translucent

• easily understandable

permitting light to pass through

• 1 + 1=2 is a translucent equation, even for children in elementary school.

The translucent stain glass window made a colorful pattern on the floor of the chapel.

trepidation

• tremulous fear, alarm, or agitation

• When the girl walked down a dark alley in the middle of the night, even the smallest noise caused trepidation.

trite

• lacking in freshness or effectiveness because of constant use

• Cliches are trite and it is best to avoid using them.

turbulence

• the quality or state of being turbulent; haphazard secondary motion

• Turbulence during plane rides is caused by rough winds.

truculent

• fierce, cruel, savagely brutal

• The notorious mob boss Al Capone gained power during the twenties because he was so truculent.

tyranny

• the government or rule of an absolute ruler; unrestrained exercise of power

• The rule of Mary I of England is a famous example of tyranny; she used her power to unjustly murder Protestants.

ubiquitous

• existing everywhere, especially at the same time; omnipresent

• Several religions believe in a ubiquitous god that knows all and exists everywhere.

undermine

• to attack by indirect, secret, or underhand means

• The pagent queen tried to undermine her opponent by secretly bribing the judges.

undulate

• to move with a wavelike motion

• The ocean undulated, slowly carrying the bottle with the message away from the shore.

unanimous

• in complete agreement

• Since the decision was unanimous, the test was postponed for three days.