49 words starting with U

• ugly adjective

  unpleasant to look at

  The old building was ugly, but the garden was beautiful.

  Like unattractive, unsightly

• ultimate adjective

  final, coming at the end of a process; the greatest or best

  Our ultimate goal is to reach the top of the hill before sunset.

  Like final, eventual

• ultimately adverb

  in the end; finally

  Ultimately, hard work is what helps you improve.

  Like finally, eventually

• unable adjective

  not able to do something

  I was unable to finish my homework because the lights went out.

  Like incapable

• uncertainty noun

  the state of not being sure about something

  There is uncertainty about whether the trip will happen.

  Like doubt

• uncle noun

  the brother of your father or mother, or your aunt’s husband

  My uncle took us fishing on the river.

• unclear adjective

  not easy to understand or not known for certain

  The instructions were unclear, so we asked the teacher for help.

  Like confusing, vague

• undergo verb

  to experience something, especially a change or treatment

  Caterpillars undergo a big change to become butterflies.

  Like go through, experience

• undergraduate noun

  a university student who has not yet earned a first degree

  My cousin is an undergraduate studying engineering in Kathmandu.

• underlie verb

  to be the hidden basic cause or reason for something

  Simple rules of physics underlie the way a bicycle stays upright.

• undermine verb

  to gradually make something weaker or less effective

  Too little sleep can undermine your ability to concentrate in class.

  Like weaken

• underneath adverb

  directly below or under something else

  Lift the flat rock and you will find tiny insects living underneath.

  Like beneath, below

• understand verb

  to know the meaning of something or how it works

  Do you understand how sunlight and raindrops work together to form a rainbow?

  Like grasp, follow, comprehend

• undertake verb

  to accept and start a task, especially a large one

  The students undertook a project to plant a hundred trees.

  Like take on

• unemployed adjective

  without a paid job

  Her uncle was unemployed for a month before he found work at a bank.

  Like jobless

• unemployment noun

  the state of not having a paid job; the number of people without one

  Unemployment fell when the new factory opened and hired workers.

• unfortunately adverb

  used to say that something is sad, disappointing, or bad luck

  Unfortunately, the picnic was canceled because of rain.

  Like sadly, unluckily

• uniform noun

  special clothes that all members of a group wear

  We wear a blue and white uniform to school.

• unify verb

  to bring things or people together to form one whole

  The new rules unify the three clubs into one big science club.

  Like unite, join

• unintelligible adjective

  impossible to understand

  The message was unintelligible because the phone line was so noisy.

  Like incomprehensible

• union noun

  a group of workers or countries joined together for a shared purpose

  The workers’ union met with the factory owners to ask for better pay.

  Like association, league, alliance

• unique adjective

  being the only one of its kind

  Nepal’s flag is unique because it is not a rectangle.

  Like one of a kind

• unit noun

  a single thing or group that is part of something larger; a fixed amount used for measuring

  The meter is a unit of length.

  Like part, measure

• unite verb

  to join together to act as one

  The villagers united to rebuild the bridge.

  Like join, combine

• unity noun

  the state of being joined together or in agreement

  The team’s unity helped them win the championship.

  Like togetherness, harmony

• universal adjective

  true or used everywhere and by everyone

  Smiling is a universal sign of happiness that people understand in every country.

  Like general, worldwide

• universe noun

  all of space and everything in it

  The universe contains billions of galaxies.

  Like cosmos

• university noun

  a place where students study for a degree after school

  She will study physics at Tribhuvan University.

  Like college

• unknown adjective

  not identified; not heard of by most people

  The cause of the strange noise is still unknown.

  Like unidentified, unfamiliar

• unlikely adjective

  probably not going to happen or be true

  It is unlikely to snow in Kathmandu in July.

  Like improbable

• unstable adjective

  likely to change, move or fall; not steady

  The pile of books is unstable and might fall over.

  Like shaky, unsteady

• unusual adjective

  different from what is normal or expected

  It is unusual to see snow in Kathmandu.

  Like strange, uncommon, odd

• update verb

  to add the newest information to something

  Please update the class list with the new students’ names.

• uplift noun

  a raising of land; a feeling of hope and happiness

  The Himalaya were formed by the uplift of rock as two plates pushed together.

  Like rise, raising

• upper adjective

  higher in position or level

  The heavy books are on the lower shelf and the light ones on the upper shelf.

  Like higher, top

• upset adjective

  unhappy or worried because something bad has happened

  He was upset when he lost his new pencil case.

  Like unhappy, troubled

• upward adverb

  toward a higher place or level

  The balloon floated upward into the sky.

  Like up, upwards

• urban adjective

  of or in a city or town

  Urban areas like Kathmandu have more traffic than villages.

  Like metropolitan

• urge verb

  to try hard to persuade someone to do something

  The teacher urged us to read for at least twenty minutes every day.

  Like encourage, push

• urine noun

  the yellow liquid waste that passes out of the body

  The kidneys remove waste from the blood and make urine.

• usage noun

  the way something is used or the amount used; the way words are used

  Our electricity usage goes up in winter.

  Like use, consumption

• use verb

  to do something with a tool, object or method for a purpose

  We use a ruler to draw straight lines in our notebooks.

  Like employ, apply, utilize

• useful adjective

  helping you to do or get something

  A map is very useful when you travel to a new place.

  Like helpful, handy

• user noun

  a person who uses a machine, service, or product

  The app asks each new user to choose a password.

• usual adjective

  normal; happening most of the time

  We met at the usual place after school.

  Like normal, ordinary, typical

• usually adverb

  in most cases; most of the time

  We usually eat breakfast at seven o’clock.

  Like normally, generally

• utility noun

  a public service such as water, electricity or gas; usefulness

  Electricity and water are utilities that every home needs.

  Like service, usefulness

• utilize verb

  to make use of something for a purpose

  The farmers utilize rainwater to irrigate their fields.

  Like use, employ

• utterance noun

  something spoken; a word or statement

  The baby’s first utterance was “mama.”

  Like remark, statement