Words starting with T

A tableau is a group of people or objects arranged to create a striking picture or scene. It is often used in art, theatre, or literature.

A small flat object that you swallow whole, usually as medicine. Tablets are a common form of pills.

a folded Mexican food made with a small tortilla and a filling such as meat, beans, cheese, or vegetables. The tortilla is usually soft or sometimes crispy.

A small piece of paper, plastic, or metal attached to something to give information, identify it, or show its price.

A takeover is when one company buys or gains control of another company. It can also mean when one group, person, or government takes control of something.

Having a natural ability to do something well. It often suggests skill that comes easily, not only through hard practice.

To speak to someone, especially in a conversation or discussion. It can also mean to discuss a topic with someone.

Something real you can touch or clearly notice, not just an idea or feeling.

A tapestry is a thick cloth picture made by weaving coloured threads together. It is often hung on a wall for decoration.

The sense used to notice flavours in food and drinks. It is one of the five main senses.

To try a food or drink to check its flavour before deciding to use, serve, or buy it. It often means testing small amounts, not eating a full portion.

Having a pleasant flavour. Used for food or drink that tastes good. It can also mean something is attractive or enjoyable in a general way.

A team meeting is a meeting where people in the same group discuss work, plans, problems, or progress together.

A tear-up is a loud, rough, or wild party or argument. It often means people are drinking, shouting, or fighting. In British English, it can also mean a serious emotional crying spell.

Connected with a special subject, skill, or machine. It often means difficult to understand unless you know that field.

1. Long and slow, so you get bored easily. / 2. Not interesting at all because it takes too much time or is very repetitive. / 3. (formal) tiresome due to length or repetition.

Telemetry is the process of collecting data from a distance and sending it to another place for monitoring or analysis.

Describing an idea, action, or process that is guided by a final purpose or goal. It suggests that something is understood by its end result, not only by its cause.

The study or idea that things have a purpose or goal built into them. In philosophy, it asks why something exists or happens, not only how.

a person's usual emotional state, especially how easily they become angry. It can also mean a mood or frame of mind.

The degree of heat or cold in the air, a room, a body, or another object. It is often measured in degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit.

Tender braised lamb is lamb that has been cooked slowly in liquid until it becomes soft and easy to eat. It is often used to describe a dish on a menu.

Gentle, caring concern for someone’s comfort, safety, or well-being. It suggests warmth, sympathy, and careful attention.

Not strong or firmly based; easily broken or lost.

General use

Very frightened. It describes a strong feeling of fear, often because something seems dangerous or very bad.

A terrine is a deep dish, often made of ceramic, used for cooking and serving food. It is also the food cooked or served in it, usually a smooth meat or vegetable mixture.

To try something in a small, careful way before doing it fully. You do this to see people's reaction or to check if an idea will work.

Textural means related to texture, especially the surface feel, appearance, or structure of something. It is often used in art, design, food, and materials.

A difference in surface feel or texture between two things. In writing about art, design, or photography, it often means a visual difference that suggests roughness, smoothness, or pattern.

The feel of a surface when you touch it, or the way a material looks and feels. It can be rough, smooth, soft, or hard.

the acid test is a strict and important test that shows whether something is really good, true, or successful. It is often used for ideas, plans, products, or skills.

Something that gives you the best parts of two different choices. It lets you enjoy two good things at the same time, without losing much.

The most important overall view of a situation, instead of small details. It helps you focus on the main aim, plan, or result.

Basic, necessary, or most important. It describes the part of something that gives support, income, or success.

The idea that a small action or event can cause very big results later. It is often used in science, stories, and everyday speech.

A quiet or peaceful time just before trouble, noise, or activity starts. It often suggests that something difficult is coming soon.

A serious, obvious problem or issue that everyone in a group is aware of but nobody wants to talk about or address. It is usually something uncomfortable, awkward, or controversial.

Something popular for a short time, then quickly forgotten or replaced. It often suggests the thing is fashionable, but not lasting.

Something extra that makes a good situation even better. It is not necessary, but it adds pleasure or value.

A choice between two bad options, where one is not good but is the smaller harm. People use it when no option feels right.

The purpose or point of human life, especially in serious thinking or conversation. It asks what makes life worth living.

The real world is everyday life outside school, theory, games, or imagination. It means practical life and actual experience.

The main cause of a difficulty or bad situation. It points to the deepest reason, not just the visible problem.

A small visible part of a much larger problem, situation, or amount. It suggests that the real issue is bigger than what you can see.

A ticket that lets you enter a theater to watch a play, musical, or other live show.

Done in a dramatic, exaggerated, or showy way. It can describe a person's behaviour, a gesture, or a style that seems like acting on a stage.

In a dramatic or exaggerated way, like an actor on a stage. It can also mean in a way that is meant to attract attention.

The level of detail and richness in the main ideas of a text, film, discussion, or work. It shows how well the theme is explored.

An explanation that tries to show why a good and powerful God allows evil and suffering. It is often used in religion and philosophy.

Concerned with ideas and principles rather than practical application; abstract.

To form an idea or explanation about something, often without full proof. People theorize when they try to explain why something happens.

An idea or explanation that tries to describe how something works or why something happens. It is often based on evidence, but it may not be fully proven.

In philosophy, the theory of universals is the idea that general qualities, like redness or beauty, can exist in more than one thing. It asks whether shared properties are real, or only names we use.

Relating to heat or to things that produce, keep, or use heat. It is often used in science, engineering, and weather contexts.

a weather condition where a layer of warm air sits above cooler air near the ground. It stops air from rising easily and can trap fog, smoke, and pollution.

relating to heat, energy, and how they move or change in a system. It is used in physics, chemistry, and engineering.

Thermodynamics is the branch of physics that studies heat, energy, and how they move and change. It explains how engines, machines, and living things use energy.

In a way that shows a strong need or desire for drink, especially water. It can also mean with a strong desire for something.

Feeling a need to drink because your body needs water. It can also mean very dry and wanting water.

An idea, plan, or opinion in your mind. It can be a single thing you think, or the act of thinking itself.

A sad song, poem, or speech for someone who has died. It is often formal or literary.

A point or level at which something begins or changes; a doorway entrance.

Very excited and very happy about something. It often shows strong positive emotion, not just mild pleasure.

The regular rise and fall of the sea, caused by the moon and the sun. It can also mean the water level at a particular time.

Neat and arranged in order. A tidy place, desk, or room is clean and not messy. It can also mean small, controlled, or careful.

In a firm, close, or secure way. It can also mean with little space between things. Sometimes it means strongly or strictly.

Timbuktu is a city in Mali, in West Africa. It is famous for its history as a trade and learning center. In modern English, people also use it to mean a faraway or hard-to-find place.

The general idea of when things happen, and how long they take. It can also mean a period or moment in the past, present, or future.

A reminder that time passes very quickly. People use it when they notice days, months, or years going by faster than expected.

to make small changes or repairs to something, often in an informal or not very careful way. It can also mean to adjust something little by little.

To cause a result to go one way, especially when two choices are close. It often means one factor makes a final decision, change, or success happen.

Feeling the need to rest because of work, lack of sleep, or effort. It can also mean bored or fed up with something.

To find the amount of a substance in a solution by adding a known chemical until the reaction is complete. In chemistry and medicine, this can also mean to adjust a dose or level slowly and carefully.

To ask a question means to say something to get information, an explanation, or an answer. It is a basic way to start a conversation or check understanding.

To go to a trade fair, which is an event where companies show and promote their products or services. People attend to meet buyers, compare products, or learn about a market.

to enjoy and feel proud of a success for a while. It suggests quiet satisfaction after hard work or a big win.

To be very nervous or anxious. This phrase describes someone who feels tense, worried, or easily startled.

To be an active, strong, and impressive person or thing that has a powerful effect on others. It often suggests energy, confidence, and a personality that is hard to ignore.

To be completely confused, stressed, or unable to think of a solution. It describes a very difficult moment when you cannot decide what to do next.

To suddenly feel strong nostalgia. It means old memories or feelings come back very quickly and surprise you.

Used to describe someone who is completely controlled by greed. It suggests greed is growing so strong that it takes over their judgment and actions.

Very annoyed, stressed, or tired because something has gone on too long. It suggests you have reached the limit of what you can bear.

to feel strong fear that something bad is going to happen. It often describes a deep, uneasy feeling, not a clear warning.

To feel a lasting, hard-to-shake sense of discomfort, worry, or ill health. It suggests the feeling stays in your mind or body for a long time.

To be in a difficult situation. You have a problem and need to find a solution quickly.

to not know important facts about something. It often suggests that other people know, but you do not.

To be in the throes of despair means to feel extreme hopelessness and emotional pain. It describes a very strong, difficult state that feels hard to escape.

If someone is not out of the woods, they are not yet safe or free from trouble. The problem may be improving, but it could still come back or continue.

To feel badly troubled by deep fear or worry about life, meaning, or the future. It suggests a constant, heavy feeling that is hard to ignore.

To be hidden or made less noticeable because people do not care. It suggests a strong lack of interest or concern.

to be slightly ill, tired, or not feeling well. It is usually used for a short-term, mild sickness or low energy.

To avoid saying something directly. A person beats around the bush when they delay the main point or speak in a roundabout way.

To take on more work or responsibility than you can handle well. It suggests overconfidence, pressure, or poor planning.

To say or do something friendly to make people feel relaxed at the start of a conversation or meeting. It helps strangers or shy people feel more comfortable.

To help two people, ideas, groups, or situations connect better when there is a difference between them. It is often used when something reduces misunderstanding or makes cooperation easier.

To earn the money a family needs. It often means doing the main paid job in a home. It can also mean achieving success or getting a good result.

To make and develop useful work contacts who can help your career, share opportunities, or offer advice. It often means meeting people, staying in touch, and being known in your field.

To work or study very late into the night. It often suggests hard effort, especially before a deadline.

To decide differently after first deciding something. It means you stop supporting one choice and choose another one instead.

To think about something again and again, often in a slow or worried way. It usually suggests unhelpful thinking, not careful planning.

To make an agreement official, especially in business or sales. It means both sides agree and finish the final steps.

If something happens rain or shine, it happens whatever the weather or situation is. It shows strong commitment and no change in plan.

If you come to terms with something bad or difficult, you accept it and start living with it. It often means the situation cannot be changed, so you stop fighting it.

to collect and study information about customers, competitors, and demand before making business decisions or launching a product.

To feel upset about something bad that already happened, when being upset will not change it. It is used to tell someone to accept the situation and move on.

Used before you give the main point after leaving out many details. It means you are making a long story shorter.

to make an early model or sample of a product, machine, or idea so it can be tested and improved before the final version.

To act in a fair, honest, or morally right way, especially when it is not easy. It often suggests choosing what is right over what is convenient.

To decide what is acceptable and what is not. It means you set a clear limit or boundary. It is often used when someone refuses to accept more.

Used to say that people can have different tastes, opinions, or choices. It shows that you accept someone else's preference, even if you do not share it.

to make a business larger by increasing sales, locations, staff, or activity. It is a planned growth action.

To feel a sudden, brief, and sharp feeling of guilt for something you did. It often sounds more vivid and literary than simply saying you feel sorry.

If a request, warning, or complaint falls on deaf ears, people ignore it and do not respond. It often suggests disappointment because the speaker expected to be heard.

To suddenly feel strong anger because you believe you are morally right. It often suggests anger that feels justified, not calm or gentle.

To become confident and comfortable in a new situation. It is often used when someone starts a new job, school, or place.

To gain an advantage over others in a competition, business, or similar situation. It means becoming stronger, faster, or more successful than rivals.

To do more than what is expected, in order to help someone or achieve a better result. It often suggests extra care, effort, or kindness.

to accept things as they happen and not try to control everything. It means staying calm, flexible, and easy to work with.

To deal with a complaint in a calm and effective way. It means listening, understanding the problem, and trying to fix it.

To keep a strong feeling of anger or hurt for a long time. It usually means the feeling is hidden, not openly shown.

To have more important problems or tasks to deal with. It suggests that a person should not worry about a small issue because they have something bigger to handle.

to be involved in many different activities or plans, often in a way that seems too controlling or too curious. It usually suggests the person wants influence everywhere.

To start something and make fast, effective progress right away. It often means you are ready and productive from the first day.

to put a plan into action and make it happen. It means carrying out the steps needed for the plan to work.

To make a work process faster, smoother, or easier. It means reducing wasted time, effort, or steps.

To raise the amount of money a business keeps from each sale. It means increasing profit compared with costs or sales.

To put money into stocks, hoping it will grow over time. It means buying shares in companies as an investment.

To act quietly and avoid attention. A person who keeps a low profile does not try to stand out or attract notice.

To stay cheerful and hopeful during a difficult time. It means not showing defeat, even when things are hard.

To introduce a new product to the market for the first time. Companies use it when they begin selling or promoting something new.

To gain wisdom, skill, or judgment from everyday experiences, especially mistakes, hardships, and real situations. It means life teaches you things outside school or formal study.

To do everything possible to find something, solve a problem, or achieve a result. It suggests a full and careful effort, with nothing left undone.

To act calm, casual, or unconcerned on purpose, even when you may care a lot. It suggests you are carefully pretending not to be impressed, worried, or eager.

To make a small problem seem much bigger than it really is. It describes overreacting or turning a minor issue into a serious one.

To have just enough money to pay for basic needs and necessary expenses. It often suggests life is difficult, and there is no money left over.

used to say that something adds to a bad situation and makes it even more serious or difficult.

to plan how money will be spent so you do not spend too much. It often means tracking income, expenses, and savings carefully.

To finish a task or submit work by the time it must be done. It is often used in study, office, and project settings.

to make it easier for something to happen later. It often means you create the conditions for a future change, success, or action.

If an action or decision pays dividends, it gives good results later. It is often used for work, study, planning, or effort.

To give a current employee a higher job or rank inside the same company or organization. It means the person is not hired from outside.

To help customers with questions, problems, or product use. It often means answering calls, emails, chats, or tickets for a company.

To give someone an idea, question, or statement that makes them think carefully. It often suggests a useful or interesting thought, not a full answer.

To depend on one plan, one person, or one choice instead of keeping other options open. It often suggests risk, because one failure can cause a big loss.

To seem calm, peaceful, and very composed. It suggests that other people can notice this calm feeling around you.

To reach a consensus means to agree on one decision or opinion after discussion. It is used when several people think together and finally choose the same answer.

To aim for something very ambitious or difficult. It often suggests high hopes, bold plans, or goals that may be hard to achieve.

To reach the highest point of extreme happiness or excitement. It suggests a peak feeling that cannot go higher.

To understand the hidden meaning of words, actions, or a situation. It means noticing what is implied, not only what is said.

To make the money needed to run a business, project, or organization smaller. It is often used in business and formal writing.

To complete something easily, with little trouble or effort. It often suggests success that feels smooth and confident.

To wait and watch how a situation develops before choosing what to do. It often suggests caution or avoiding a quick decision.

To feel very angry, especially because something seems unfair, rude, or insulting. The emotion is strong but often held inside rather than openly shown.

To separate the useful, valuable, or good people or things from the useless or bad ones. It is often used when judging quality, talent, or truth.

To agree to the terms of a contract by writing your signature on it. It makes the agreement official and legally binding.

This means a feeling, conflict, or problem is present but not openly shown. It seems calm on the outside, but it is still active underneath.

To be in a risky situation where one wrong move can cause trouble or failure. It often suggests hidden danger, not just ordinary risk.

to tell a secret, especially one you were supposed to keep. It is often informal and used in everyday speech.

To do or say something before another person can, so you get the attention or credit first. It usually suggests the other person’s moment has been spoiled.

To stop or slow a bad situation that is getting worse, often only for a short time. It usually suggests a strong effort against a larger force.

To stay unhappy, angry, or embarrassed about your own problem without getting help. It often suggests that the person should think about what they did and feel the result for a while.

to find a middle point between two different needs, choices, or opinions. It means you do not choose only one side; you try to be fair to both.

To accept a statement with doubt, because it may not be completely true. You do not trust it fully, even if you do not reject it outright.

to choose the easiest option, even if it is not the best or bravest one. It suggests avoiding effort, risk, or difficult decisions.

to form your own opinions instead of simply accepting other people's ideas. It suggests independent thought and good judgment.

to experience a deep moment of sudden understanding about life, faith, or the self. It often feels life-changing and emotionally powerful.

To walk on eggshells means to behave very carefully because someone may become angry, upset, or offended easily. It often suggests fear, tension, or stress in a relationship.

To spend too much time feeling sorry for yourself. It often suggests that the person is staying with unhappy feelings instead of trying to recover or act.

To survive a difficult period without serious harm. It often suggests patience, strength, and steady effort until the problem passes.

Connected with tone or sound quality. It often describes music, speech, or colour changes based on tone.

The span of notes or tones a voice, instrument, or sound can produce or use. It shows how high and low the sound can go.

A toothbrush is a small brush used for cleaning teeth. It usually has a handle and soft bristles.

The study of shapes, spaces, and how parts are connected. In mathematics, it looks at what stays the same when shapes are stretched or bent.

Completely or fully. Use it to say something is true without any doubt or limit.

A screen on a device that you control by touching it with your finger or a stylus. It is common on phones, tablets, and some machines.

A trademark is a name, logo, symbol, or design that legally identifies one company’s product or service. It helps people know who made it.

Based on long-used customs, beliefs, or methods. It often means something has been done the same way for a long time.

Quiet and peaceful. A tranquil place has little noise, worry, or activity.

A calm, peaceful feeling of being satisfied with what you have. It is quieter and softer than excitement or happiness.

Relating to a transaction, exchange, or deal. In business, it often describes work or relationships based on quick exchanges, not deep connection.

To go past limits or rise above usual level; to exceed expectations.

Describing ideas about knowledge, reality, or experience that go beyond normal sense experience. In philosophy, it often means related to conditions that make experience possible.

In philosophy, the basic mental or logical requirements that make experience possible. It is used for the idea that we can only have experience because these conditions already shape it.

To change the appearance or form of something completely, often in a beautiful or surprising way. It is stronger and more dramatic than simply changing or improving something.

Lasting for only a short time and then stopping or disappearing. It suggests something that passes through without leaving a permanent mark.

In a way that is easy to understand or clearly seen. It can also mean in a way that is open and honest, with no hidden trick.

To happen or occur, especially when the result is not immediately known. This is formal and often used in writing.

To move something to another place or position, or to change the order of things. In maths or music, it has a more specific meaning.

A tree is a tall plant with a trunk, branches, and leaves. It usually lives for many years and grows larger over time.

A trenchant remark, criticism, or analysis is strong, clear, and sharply effective. It often shows keen insight and does not avoid difficult truths.

A feeling of fear or nervousness about something that may happen. It is often a quiet, uneasy feeling before a difficult event.

to cause a small action or event that leads to much bigger and often unexpected results later.

To react with strong surprise, fear, excitement, or confusion. It is informal and often used in spoken English.

Very strange, unusual, or hard to understand, often in a surprising or exciting way. It is often used for experiences, images, music, or ideas.

A work of art made of three connected panels or sections. The three parts usually fit together as one piece.

Of little importance or value; insignificant.

A thought experiment in ethics. It asks what you should do when any choice causes harm, and one choice harms fewer people.

A painting or design that uses realistic detail to make flat surfaces look three-dimensional. It is often used in art, murals, and decoration.

A trophic cascade is a chain reaction in a food web. When one species changes, it affects other plants and animals across several levels. It is often used in ecology.

True means based on fact, not false. It can also mean loyal, real, or accurate, depending on context.

A true-or-false question, statement, or test has only two answers: true or false. It is used to check basic knowledge quickly.

A truss is a strong frame of beams or bars that supports a roof, bridge, or other structure. Engineers use trusses because they are light but strong.

a strong belief that someone is honest, reliable, and will not harm you. It can also mean confidence in something to work well.

the state of being correct or in line with facts. It is what really happened or is really the case.

A surprising, blunt statement of an uncomfortable truth. It is often spoken to shock someone or change the mood quickly.

A very cold, flat area of land where few trees grow. The ground is often frozen for most or all of the year.

To stop a machine, light, or device from working. It is the opposite of turn on.

To start a machine, light, device, or system so it begins working or shining.

If someone turns over a new leaf, they start behaving in a better way. It often means they stop a bad habit and try to live more responsibly.

Turnover is the amount of money a business gets from sales in a period. It can also mean how often people leave and are replaced in a job or group.

To enter information by typing it on a keyboard or screen. It is often used for forms, passwords, and search boxes.