GRE Word List T(part 1)

tablet small round piece of medicine; flat piece of stone or metal bearing an inscription; Ex. stone tablet on the wall
tacit understood (without actually being expressed); not put into words; Ex. tacit agreement
taciturn habitually silent; talking little
tact skill or sensitivity in dealing with people without causing offence
tactful careful no to cause offence; OP. tactless
tactile pertaining to the organs or sense of touch
taint contaminate; cause to lose purity; modify with a trace of something bad; Ex. tainted reputation; N: stain; touch of decay or bad influence; CF. touch
takeoff burlesque; act of leaving the ground
talisman charm; object believed to give supernatural powers to or protect its bearer
talon claw of bird
tan convert (hide) into leather; make brown by exposure to the sun
tangential only slightly connected; not central; peripheral; digressing; showing divergence; CF. tangent
tangible able to be touched; real; concrete; palpable; possible to realize or understand; Ex. tangible proof
tanner person who turns animal hides into leather
tantalize tease; excite by exposing something desirable while keeping it out of reach; torture with disappointment; CF. Tantalus: Greek mythological figure
tantamount equivalent in effect or value; Ex. This invasion is tantamount to a declaration of war; CF. amount
tantrum fit of bad temper; fit of petulance; caprice; Ex. The child went into tantrums.
taper very thin candle; gradual decrease in the width of a long object; V. make or become gradually narrower toward one end
tarantula venomous spider
tardy slow; sluggish; not on time; late; Ex. tardy arrival
tarnish make or become dull or discolored; N.
tarry linger; delay in starting or going; dawdle
tart sharp to the taste; acid-tasting; caustic; sarcastic; Ex. tart apple/reply
tatter torn piece of cloth; ADJ. tattered: (of clothes) old and torn; (of a person) dressed in old torn clothes
taunt deride or provoke; challenge in derision; N.
taut tight; strained; tense; ready; OP. slack
tautological needlessly repetitious; Ex. “It was visible to the eye'’; N. tautology: needless repetition of the same sense; statement that is always true
tawdry cheap and gaudy; Ex. tawdry jewelry
tawny brownish yellow
taxonomist specialist in classifying (animals, etc.); CF. taxonomy: science of classification
tedium boredom; weariness; ADJ. tedious
teetotalism practice of abstaining totally from alcoholic drinks; N. teetotaler;; ADJ. teetotal; CF. T + total
temerity boldness; nerve; rashness; Ex. temerity to ask for a pay increase after only three day’s work
temper moderate; make less severe; tone down or restrain; toughen (steel) as by alternate heating and cooling
temperament characteristic frame of mind; disposition; emotional excess; ADJ. temperamental: of temperament; having frequent changes of temper; Ex. temperamental dislike of sports; Ex. temperamental actress
temperate moderate; restrained; self-controlled; moderate in respect to temperature; CF. temperance: moderation and self-restraint; abstinence of alcoholic drinks; Ex. temperance society
tempestuous stormy; violent; impassioned; N. tempest: violent storm
tempo speed of music
temporal of time; not lasting forever; limited by time; temporary; secular; worldly
temporize gain time as by postponing an action; avoid committing oneself
tenacious holding fast (as to a belief); persistent
tenacity firmness; persistence
tenancy possession of land or building by rent; period of a tenant’s occupancy
tenant one that pays rent to use property owned by another
tend have a tendency; take care of; minister; serve at; apply one’s attention; attend
tendentious promoting a particular point of view; biased; having an aim; designed to further a cause; Ex. tendentious rather than truth-seeking; CF. tend: move in a certain direction
tender offer formally; extend; Ex. tender one’s resignation/the exact fare; N: formal offer; money; Ex. legal tender; ADJ: young and vulnerable; sensitive to the touch; sore; soft; delicate; Ex. child of tender years; Ex. tender wound
tenet doctrine; dogma
tensile capable of being stretched; of tension; Ex. tensile rubber
tension stretching; condition of being stretched; mental strain; strained relationship between groups or people
tentative not fully worked out or developed; provisional; experimental; uncertain; hesitant; not definite or positive; Ex. tentative agreement/reply
tenuous thin; slim; rare
tenure holding of an office or real estate; time during which such an office is held
tepid lukewarm; slightly warm; half-hearted; not eager; Ex. tepid reaction to the new film; Ex. tepid supporter
terminal part that forms the end; railroad or bus station; ADJ. forming an end; ending in death; fatal; Ex. terminal cancer
termination end; V. terminate
terminology terms used in a science or art; study of nomenclature
terminus last stop of railroad; end
terrestrial on or relating to the earth
terse concise; abrupt; pithy
tertiary third in order or rank
tessellated mosaic; inlaid; Ex. tessellated pattern
testator maker of a will; CF. testatrix
testy irritable; impatient and bad-tempered; short-tempered; N. testiness
tether tie (an animal) with a rope or tether; N: rope or chain to which an animal is tied; limit of one’s endurance; Ex. the end of one’s tether
thematic of a theme; relating to a unifying motif or idea
theocracy government run by religious leaders
theoretical based on theory; not practical or applied; hypothetical
therapeutic curative; N. therapy
thermal pertaining to heat; producing heat; warm; Ex. thermal bath; N: rising current of warm air
thesis opinion put forward and supported by reasoned arguments
thespian pertaining to drama; N: actor or actress
thrall slave; bondage; slavery; Ex. Her beauty held him in thrall; CF. enthrall
thrash beat with a whip or flail; defeat utterly; talk about thoroughly in order to find the answer; move wildly or violently; Ex. The fishes thrashed about in the net.
threadbare worn through till the threads show; shabby and poor; hackneyed; Ex. threadbare excuses
threat sign or warning (of coming danger); Ex. threat of rain; V: express a threat; give warning of (something bad); Ex. The cloud threatens rain.
thresh beat (cereal plants) with a machine or flail to separate the grains from the straw
thrifty careful about money; economical; N. thrift
thrive prosper; flourish
throb (of a heart or machine) beat rapidly or violently; N. Ex. hearthrob: heartbeat; sweetheart
throes violent anguish
throng crowd (of people or things); V.
throttle strangle; regulate the speed of with a throttle; N: valve that regulates the flow; CF. throat ?
thwart block or hinder; baffle; frustrate
tickle touch (the body) lightly so as to cause laughter; please
tightwad miser; excessively frugal person
tiller handle used to move boat’s rudder (to steer)
timbre quality of a musical tone produced by a musical instrument (which distinguishes it from others of the same pitch)
timidity lack of self-confidence or courage
timorous fearful; timid; demonstrating fear
tinge give a slight degree of a color or quality to; N: slight degree of a color or quality; Ex. tinged with grey/jealousy
tint slight degree of color; V: give a tint to
tipple drink (alcoholic beverages) frequently; N: alcoholic drink
tirade long angry denunciatory speech; diatribe; harangue; extended scolding; denunciation
titanic gigantic; N. titan
tithe tax of one-tenth (contributed to a church); V: pay a tithe
titillate tickle; excite pleasantly; Ex. not to titillate the audience but to enlighten it
title name (of a book, film, etc.); mark of rank; formal appellation as of rank or office (such as Lord or General); right or claim to possession; championship; Ex. title as head of the family; Ex. title to the estate