32 words starting with T

• tactful adjective

  careful not to upset others when dealing with delicate matters

  The teacher was tactful when pointing out mistakes in my essay.

  Like diplomatic, considerate, discreet

• tactless adjective

  careless about how one’s words or actions hurt others’ feelings

  It was tactless to mention his low score in front of the whole class.

  Like insensitive, blunt, undiplomatic

• tangential adjective

  only slightly connected to the main subject

  The speaker’s tangential stories made the lecture hard to follow.

  Like peripheral, incidental, digressive

• tangible adjective

  able to be touched; real and clear enough to be measured

  The new library brought tangible improvements to students’ reading scores.

  Like concrete, real, physical

• tarnish verb

  to make metal lose its shine; to damage someone’s good name

  Silver jewelry tarnishes if it is left out in the air.

  Like dull, stain, blemish

• tedious adjective

  long, slow, and boring

  Copying the long table by hand was a tedious task.

  Like boring, dull, monotonous

• temper noun

  a tendency to become angry quickly; one’s mood

  My little brother has a quick temper when he loses at games.

  Like mood, anger, disposition

• temperament noun

  a person’s usual nature and way of reacting to things

  Our dog has a gentle temperament and loves children.

  Like nature, disposition, personality

• temperate adjective

  (of climate) mild, without extremes of heat or cold; showing self-control

  Kathmandu has a temperate climate, neither too hot nor too cold.

  Like mild, moderate, restrained

• tenacious adjective

  holding firmly and not giving up easily

  The tenacious climber tried three times before reaching the summit.

  Like persistent, determined, dogged

• tenacity noun

  determination to continue and not give up

  Her tenacity helped her solve the puzzle after hours of trying.

  Like persistence, determination, perseverance

• tenet noun

  a main principle or belief held by a group

  Honesty is a central tenet of good science.

  Like principle, belief, doctrine

• tentative adjective

  not certain or fixed; done without confidence

  We have made tentative plans to visit Chitwan in December.

  Like provisional, uncertain, hesitant

• tenuous adjective

  very weak or slight, as a link, hold, or argument

  The link between the two events was tenuous at best.

  Like weak, flimsy, slight

• terse adjective

  using very few words, often in a way that seems unfriendly

  His terse reply, “Fine,” told me he was still upset.

  Like curt, brief, abrupt

• thrifty adjective

  careful to use money and goods wisely without waste

  My thrifty grandmother mends old clothes instead of buying new ones.

  Like frugal, economical, careful

• thwart verb

  to stop someone from doing what they plan

  Heavy snow thwarted our plan to cross the pass.

  Like foil, prevent, frustrate

• timid adjective

  shy and easily frightened

  The timid deer ran off as soon as we stepped onto the path.

  Like shy, fearful, nervous

• toil verb

  to work very hard for a long time

  Farmers toiled in the rice fields from sunrise to sunset.

  Like labor, slave, work hard

• tolerant adjective

  willing to accept beliefs or behavior different from one’s own

  Our school is tolerant of every student’s festivals and traditions.

  Like accepting, open-minded, broad-minded

• torrent noun

  a fast, powerful flow of water; a sudden large amount of something

  After the storm, the stream became a roaring torrent.

  Like flood, deluge, rush

• tranquil adjective

  calm, quiet, and peaceful

  We spent a tranquil afternoon by Phewa Lake.

  Like peaceful, calm, serene

• transcend verb

  to go beyond the usual limits of something

  Good music transcends language, and anyone can enjoy it.

  Like surpass, rise above, exceed

• transient adjective

  lasting only a short time; staying in a place briefly

  The rainbow was transient, gone within a few minutes.

  Like fleeting, short-lived, temporary

• transitory adjective

  not permanent and bound to pass

  Childhood fears are often transitory and fade with age.

  Like temporary, passing, fleeting

• transparent adjective

  clear enough to see through; open and honest

  The jar was made of transparent plastic, so we could watch the ants inside.

  Like clear, see-through, open

• treacherous adjective

  full of hidden dangers; likely to betray trust

  The icy trail was treacherous after dark.

  Like dangerous, hazardous, disloyal

• trepidation noun

  nervous fear about something that will happen

  She walked onto the stage with some trepidation.

  Like apprehension, anxiety, dread

• truncate verb

  to shorten something by cutting off part of it

  The long title was truncated so that it would fit on the small screen.

  Like shorten, cut short, abbreviate

• turmoil noun

  a state of great confusion and disorder

  The house was in turmoil the morning before the wedding.

  Like chaos, confusion, upheaval

• tyranny noun

  cruel and unfair use of power by a ruler

  The people of the old story lived under the tyranny of a greedy king.

  Like oppression, despotism, cruelty

• tyrant noun

  a ruler who uses power cruelly and unfairly

  In the fairy tale, the clever farmer outwits the tyrant.

  Like dictator, despot, oppressor