Barren GRE Word List Letter "U"

• ubiquitous being everywhere; omnipresent; N. ubiquity
          ~ wade walk through a substance, such as water, that impedes movement

• 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.
          ~ eventual happening at last as a result; Ex. eventual victory

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

• 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

• unassuming modest; Ex. the champion’s unassuming manner

• unbridled violent; uncontrolled; Ex. unbridled rage/greed
          ~ bridle harness fitted about a horse’s head (used to restrain); curb; check; V: put a bridle on; control or restrain; show anger

• uncanny strange; mysterious; Ex. uncanny knack
          ~ knack special talent; art

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

• uncouth boorish; clumsy in speech or behavior; outlandish

• unction the act of anointing with oil; Ex. extreme unction

• 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

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

• unearthly not earthly; supernatural; weird; ghostly
          ~ weird eerie; strange; unnatural

• unequivocal plain; clear; obvious

• unerringly infallibly; ADJ. unerring: making no mistakes

• unexceptionable entirely acceptable; not offering any basis for criticism

• unfaltering steadfast; firm; not changing

• unfeigned genuine; real

• unfetter liberate; free from chains; V. unfetter
          ~ hostage person who is kept as a prisoner by an enemy so that the other side will do what the enemy demands

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

• unfrock defrock; strip a priest or minister of church authority
          ~ disbar make (a lawyer) leave the bar or the legal profession
          ~ debar bar; forbid; exclude; Ex. debarred from jury services
          ~ 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
          ~ bastard illegitimate child

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

• unguent ointment

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

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

• 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

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

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

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

• unobtrusive inconspicuous; not blatant

• unprecedented having no previous example; novel; unparalleled

• unprepossessing unattractive
          ~ 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

• unscathed unharmed; Ex. escape the accident unscathed

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

• unsightly ugly; unpleasant to look at

• unsullied untarnished; CF. sully

• untenable (of a position, esp. in an argument) indefensible; not able to be maintained

• 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

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

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

• upbraid reprimand; severely scold
          ~ braid plait; interweave strands or lengths of; make by weaving strands together; N: braided segment (as of hair)

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

• upshot outcome; final result

• urbane suave; refined in manner; elegant

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

• ursine bearlike; pertaining to a bear

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

• usury lending money at illegal high rates of interest

• utopia ideal place, state, or society; ADJ. utopian
          ~ Shangri-la imaginary remote paradise on earth; CF. Lost Horizon

• uxorious excessively submissive or devoted to one’s wife; CF. uxor: wife