Dictionary of Rare and Pretty Words

T-V

Tant mieux, so much the better

Tapis, (Archaic) a tapestry

Tartarean, like Tartarus, infernal

Tautological, characterized by the unnecessary repetition of an idea

Teal, a type of duck

Temerity, boldness

Tempest, a storm

Tenebrous, gloomy and obscure

Termagant, a violent woman

Terpsichorean, of dancing; a dancer

Terse, curt

Tête-à-tête, a private chat between two people

Thé dansant, a dance held at teatime

Thrall, the state of being controlled, oppressed, or enslaved by someone; a slave

Threnody, a song dedicated to a dead person

Thrush, a type of songbird

Tiffany, a type of thin, sheer silk

Timorous, anxious or bashful

Tinder, wood or another material used to light a fire

Toilette, the process of grooming oneself

Tonsure, the bald part of a monk's hair

Tope, (Archaic) to drink too much alcohol

Torment of Tantalus, The punishment of Tantalus in Greek mythology; an extremely tempting desire that can never be satisfied

Torpid, lethargic

Tour de force, an amazing achievement

Traipse, to walk drearily;

Trenchant, sharp, piercing; (Archaic) sharp, of a blade

Trepidation, the feeling of dread (Archaic) a rattling movement

Trice, an instant

Triumvirate, a group of three powerful things working together

Trouvaille, a rare, fortuitous find

Tryst, a secret, romantic meeting between lovers

Turgid, inflated; pompous

Turpitude, immorality

Tutelary, serving as a guardian

Twilight, the decline of something

Tyro, a beginner

Uberrima fides, utmost good faith

Udon, thick Japanese pasta

Ultima ratio, the last resort

Ultima Thule, a place that is very far away; the limit of what you can discover or visit

Ultracrepidarian, a person who states opinions on things they have little to no knowledge of the topic

Ultramontane, on the other side of the alps mountains

Umbrage, offence; (Archaic) the shadow of a tree

Unbosom, to confide/confess

Uncontrived, the appearance of authenticity

Undulate, to move in waves

Usury, the act of being a loan shark; (Archaic) extremely high interest rates

Uxorious, extremely loving towards one's wife

Vacillate, to be indecisive

Vacuity, emptiness; unintelligence

Vagary, eccentricity

Valetudinarian, a hypochondriac

Vamp, a seductress

Velleity, a wish that is too weak to inspire action

Venal, corrupt/ corruptible due to bribery

Veni vidi vici, "I came, I saw, I conquered"

Verdant, lush and green with grass; the green color of grass

Verdigris, the green pigment that occurs when copper is exposed to air

Verditer, a bluish-green color

Verdure, healthy, green vegetation; the color of green vegetation

Verecund, modest and shy

Veridical, truthful

Verité, a realistic genre of television

Vestments, (Archaic) a garment, typically a ceremonial robe

Victual, (Archaic) food

Virulent, lethal; vicious

Vis-a-vis, face to face; a counterpart; comparted to

Visage, a person's face; a person's facial expression; the surface of something

Viscid, sticky

Vitreous, made from glass; glasslike

Viva voce, oral, usually of an exam

Vivacity, attractively lively, usually of a woman

Viviparous, giving live births instead of eggs

Vivisection, Surgery performed on live animals for scientific purposes; criticism

Vixen, a female fox

Vizard, (archaic) a mask

Vocation, a calling/mission

Votary, a devoted follower

Vox populi, the beliefs of the majority

Vulpine, foxlike; crafty and sly