symmetry n. (SIM uh tree) correspondence or harmony in form; the quality of being uniform. The artist was obsessed with balance and would arrange his pieces for hours to achieve symmetry.
synonymous adj. (si NON uh mus) much the same as or similar to. Dog is synonymous with canine; cat is synonymous with feline.
synthesis n. (SIN thuh sis) the mixture or combination of components to make a whole. Fusion is the synthesis of jazz and rock music forms.
tacit adj. (TASS it) implied but not specifically expressed. While it isn't written in our contract, we have a tacit agreement that the work will be performed in a timely manner.
taciturn adj. (TASS i turn) untalkative; reserved by nature. She was unusually taciturn and would rarely speak unless spoken to.
tactful adj. (TAKT ful) diplomatic and discreet; sensitive. It's not always easy to find a tactful way to tell someone that their fly is unzipped.
tangible adj. (TANJ uh bul) capable of being touched and perceived. We have no tangible evidence that aliens exist.
tantamount adj. (TANT uh mount) equivalent; the same. Letting children ride in the car without seat- belts is tantamount to letting them ride in a boat without life jackets.
tawdry adj. (TAW dree) cheap, gaudy, and showy. I'm afraid Aunt Mary has rather poor taste in fashion; her clothes are usually quite tawdry.
temerity n. (tuh MER i tee) reckless courage or boldness. Anyone who has the temerity to try and climb Mt. Everest without intense physical training is gambling against death.
temperate adj. (TEM pur ut) moderate; mild. Thankfully, we live in a temperate climate, where it never gets too hot or too cold.
tenacious adj. (ten AY shus) stubbornly persistent. The tenacious athlete thinks nothing of standing out in the rain shooting baskets for hours.
tenet n. (TEN ut) a belief or principle. It's difficult to agree wholeheartedly with all of the tenets of my church.
tentative adj. (TEN tuh tiv) unsure, indefinite. Our
plans for vacation are still tentative; we could change our minds at any time.
tenuous adj. (TEN yoo us) weak and insubstantial. Their agreement to cooperate with one another is tenuous; the slightest hostility from either side could end everything.
terse adj. (TURS) brief, concise. A one-word answer is about as terse as you can get.
testament n. (TEST uh ment) that which testifies to the truth or validity of something. His fingerprints provided mute testament to his presence at the crime's location.
tirade n. (TYE rayd) a long, angry speech; a diatribe. I don't have to sit here and listen to this tirade anymore; I'm walking out.
titillate vb. (TIT ul ate) to arouse or excite, especially in an erotic way. Movie makers have long employed scantily clad actors and actresses to titillate viewers.
torrid adj. (TOR id) scorching hot. After reading her romance novels, Nancy would always fantasize about having a torrid love affair.
totalitarian adj. (toh tal i TAIR ee un) authoritarian; tyrannical. Their totalitarian form of government regulated everything, including what the people should wear for clothing.
touchstone n. (TUCH stohn) a measure or test of worth or genuineness. The health of the fish population was used as a touchstone for the effectiveness of the state's environmental regulations.
tour de force n. (toor de FORS) an exceptional work, feat, or achievement. The novelist's latest work is being called a tour de force by critics.
transcend vb. (tran SEND) to surpass or exceed. The existence of God transcends logic, but then, so does life.
transcendental adj. (tran sen DENT ul) supernatural; spiritual; beyond the worldly or physical. For many, deep meditation can be a transcendental experience.
transgression n. (trans GRESH un) a sin; a violation of the law. For the transgression of stealing the police officer's doughnuts, the transient was ordered by the court to perform forty hours of community service.
transient adj. (TRAN shunt) transitory; passing quickly. A comet is a rare and transient event.
traumatic adj. (truh MAT ik) psychologically wounding; shocking; deeply disturbing. Being involved in a serious car accident is traumatic.
travesty n. (TRAV es tee) a farce; a poor imitation.
Our court case was ineptly handled by the judge; it was a travesty of justice.
trepidation n. (trep uh DAY shun) fear; anxiety. We
approached the sleeping bear's den with trepidation.
trite adj. (TRYTE) unoriginal; stale; hackneyed.
Most new writers describe scenes with words and phrases they've encountered in print before, and thus their writing is ineffective and trite.
tryst n. (TRIST) a secret rendezvous made by lovers. The two employees arranged a tryst every Saturday at midnight.
tumultuous adj. (tuh MULT choo us) wild and uproarious. The stock market suffered another tumultuous day of trading, as stock prices plummeted to new lows.
tutelage n. (TOOT ul ij) instruction; teaching. Perhaps nearly anyone could learn to write a novel under the tutelage of Stephen King.
tyranny n. (TEER un ee) dictatorship; oppression. Under the evil king's tyranny, peasants were forced to work the fields from sunup until sundown with little pay.
ubiquitous adj. (yoo BIK wit us) omnipresent; seemingly everywhere. The ubiquitous Japanese beetles are the bane of gardeners.
ulterior adj. (ul TEER ee er) undisclosed; hidden. My uncle had an ulterior motive for wanting to trim our hedges; he wanted to get a gander at the nude sunbathers next door.
ultimatum n. (ul tuh MAY tum) final warning, demand, or offer. Franky was given an ultimatum; either he would stop throwing food or he would have to leave the table.