Descriptionary

tacit adj. (TASS it) implied but not specifically expressed. While it isn't written in our contract, we have a tacit agreement that the work will be per­formed in a timely manner.

taciturn adj. (TASS i turn) untalkative; reserved by nature. She was unusually taciturn and would rarely speak unless spoken to.

tactful adj. (TAKT ful) diplomatic and discreet; sen­sitive. It's not always easy to find a tactful way to tell someone that their fly is unzipped.

tangible adj. (TANJ uh bul) capable of being touched and perceived. We have no tangible evidence that aliens exist.

tantamount adj. (TANT uh mount) equivalent; the same. Letting children ride in the car without seat- belts is tantamount to letting them ride in a boat without life jackets.

tawdry adj. (TAW dree) cheap, gaudy, and showy. I'm afraid Aunt Mary has rather poor taste in fash­ion; her clothes are usually quite tawdry.

temerity n. (tuh MER i tee) reckless courage or boldness. Anyone who has the temerity to try and climb Mt. Everest without intense physical training is gambling against death.

temperate adj. (TEM pur ut) moderate; mild. Thankfully, we live in a temperate climate, where it never gets too hot or too cold.

tenacious adj. (ten AY shus) stubbornly persistent. The tenacious athlete thinks nothing of standing out in the rain shooting baskets for hours.

tenet n. (TEN ut) a belief or principle. It's difficult to agree wholeheartedly with all of the tenets of my church.

tentative adj. (TEN tuh tiv) unsure, indefinite. Our

plans for vacation are still tentative; we could change our minds at any time.

tenuous adj. (TEN yoo us) weak and insubstantial. Their agreement to cooperate with one another is tenuous; the slightest hostility from either side could end everything.

terse adj. (TURS) brief, concise. A one-word answer is about as terse as you can get.

testament n. (TEST uh ment) that which testifies to the truth or validity of something. His fingerprints provided mute testament to his presence at the crime's location.

tirade n. (TYE rayd) a long, angry speech; a dia­tribe. I don't have to sit here and listen to this tirade anymore; I'm walking out.

titillate vb. (TIT ul ate) to arouse or excite, espe­cially in an erotic way. Movie makers have long employed scantily clad actors and actresses to titil­late viewers.

torrid adj. (TOR id) scorching hot. After reading her romance novels, Nancy would always fantasize about having a torrid love affair.

totalitarian adj. (toh tal i TAIR ee un) authoritar­ian; tyrannical. Their totalitarian form of govern­ment regulated everything, including what the people should wear for clothing.