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unalloyed
(adj.) pure, of high quality
An unalloyed chain is of greater value than a piece of costume jewelry.
uncanny
(adj.) of a strange nature; weird
That two people could be so alike was uncanny.
uncouth
(adj.) uncultured; crude
The social club would not accept an uncouth individual.
undermine
(v.) to weaken; often through subtle means
The attempts to undermine the merger were unsuccessful.
The supervisor undermined the director's power and began controlling the
staff.
unequivocal
(adj.) clear and unambiguous
The 50-0 vote against the bill was an unequivocal statement against the
measure.
His response was unequivocal, which seemed unusual for a politician.
unfeigned
(adj.) genuine; real; sincere
Her unfeigned reaction of surprise meant she had not expected the party.
ungainly
(adj.) clumsy and unattractive
The ungainly man knocked over the plant stand.
uniform
(adj.) never changing, always with the same standard
The marching band moved in uniform across the field.
Patrons of fast-food chains say they like the idea of a uniform menu wherever
they go.
unique
(adj.) without equal; incomparable
The jeweler assured him that the dubloon was unique, as it was part of
the long lost treasure of the Atocha.
universal
(adj.) concerning everyone; existing everywhere
Pollution does not affect just one country or state- it's a universal
problem.
unobtrusive
(adj.) out of the way; remaining quietly in the background
The shy man found an unobtrusive seat in the far corner of the room.
It was easy to miss the unobtrusive plaque above the fireplace.
unprecedented
(adj.) unheard of; exceptional
Weeks of intense heat created unprecedented power demands, which the utilities
were hard pressed to meet.
unpretentious
(adj.) simple; plain; modest
He was an unpretentious farmer: An old John Deere and a beat-up Ford pick-up
were all he needed to get the job done.
unruly
(adj.) not submitting to discipline; disobedient
The unruly boys had to be removed from the concert hall.
untoward
(adj.) improper; unfortunate
Asking guests to bring their own food would be an untoward request.
All of their friends expressed sympathy about their untoward separation.
unwonted
(adj.) rare
The unwonted raise would be the only one received for a few years.
The changed migratory habits of the Canada geese, though unwonted, is
unwanted because of the mess they make.
upshot
(n.) the final act or result
The upshot of the debate was that the bill would be released to the floor.
urbane
(adj.) cultured; suave
The gala concert and dinner dance was attended by the most urbane individuals.
The English businessman was described by his peers as witty and urbane.
usurpation
(n.) art of taking something for oneself; seizure
During the war, the usurpation of the country forced an entirely new culture
on the natives.
usury
(n.) the lending of money with an excessively high interest rate
An interest rate 30 points above the prime rate would be considered usury
in the United States.
Loan sharks frequently practice usury, but their debtors usually have
little choice but to keep quiet and pay up.
utopia
(n.) imaginary land with perfect social and political systems
Voltaire wrote of a utopia where the streets were paved with gold.
waft
(v.) move gently by wind or breeze
The smoke wafted out of the chimney.
waive
(v.) to give up; to put off until later
I will waive my rights to have a lawyer present because I don't think
I need one.
As hard as he tried, he could only waive his responsibility for so long.
wan
(adj.) lacking color; sickly pale
Her face became wan at the sight of blood.
wane
(v.) to gradually become less; to grow dim
After time, interest in the show will wane and it will no longer be as
popular.
The full moon waned until it was nothing but a sliver in the sky.
wanton
(adj.) unmanageable; unjustifiably malicious
My wanton hunger must be satiated.
With wanton aggression, the army attacked the defenseless village.
It is hard to lose weight when one has a wanton desire for sweets.
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