Words / U
English words starting with U
159 words, from Ubiquitous to Utterly. Levels A1 to C2. Each one opens a full lesson.
Ubiquitousadjective · Seeming to be everywhere.C2Uglyadjective · Unpleasant to look at; the opposite of beautiful.A1Ulterioradjective · Hidden, of a motive that is not the one stated (ulterior motive).C2Ultimateadjective · Final, or the best or most extreme of its kind.B2Ultimatelyadverb · In the end, after everything else.B2Umbragenoun · Offence or annoyance (take umbrage) (formal).C2Umbrellanoun · An object you hold over your head to keep rain off.A1Umbrella Standnoun · A tall container by a door for holding wet umbrellas.B1Unableadjective · Not able to do something.A2Unacceptableadjective · Too bad or wrong to be allowed.A2Unanimousadjective · Agreed by everyone involved.B2Unassumingadjective · Modest and not drawing attention to yourself (from modest, already in the dictionary).C1Unawareadjective · Not knowing about something.A2Unbiasedadjective · Fair and not influenced by personal opinions.B2Unbridledadjective · Not controlled or restrained (from wild, already in the dictionary).C1Uncannyadjective · Strange in a way that is hard to explain; unsettling (from strange, already in the dictionary).C1Uncertainadjective · Not sure; not knowing what will happen or what to do.A2Uncertaintynoun · The state of not knowing what will happen (uncountable in many uses).B2Unclenoun · The brother of your mother or father, or your aunt’s husband.A1Uncomfortableadjective · Not pleasant to wear, sit in, or feel; also slightly embarrassed.A2Uncommonadjective · Not happening or found often.A2Unconsciousadjective · Not awake or aware; of a process, not deliberate (unconscious bias).C1Unctuousadjective · Too polite or full of praise, in a way that seems false.C2Underpreposition · Below something; in a lower position.A1Undercoveradjective · Working secretly to get information, especially for the police.B2Underestimateverb · To guess that something is smaller, easier, or less serious than it really is.B2Undergoverb · To experience something, often difficult or a process.B2Undergraduatenoun · A student studying for a first degree.B2Undergroundnoun · A railway under the ground in a city (British). In London people also say the Tube.A1Underlineverb · To draw a line under words to mark them; also to show that something is important.A2Underlyingadjective · Real but not immediately obvious; lying beneath.B2Undermineverb · To make something weaker, often gradually or secretly.B2Underneathpreposition · Directly below something.A2Underpassnoun · A path or road that goes underneath another road or a railway.B1Underpinverb · To support or form the basis of an idea or a system.C1Underscoreverb · To emphasise or draw attention to something (from emphasise, already in the dictionary).C1Understandverb · To know the meaning of something, or why it happens.A2Understandingnoun · Knowledge of a subject; also an informal agreement (an understanding).C1Undertakeverb · To agree to do a piece of work or a task.B2Underwayadjective · Already started and in progress.C1Underwearnoun · Clothes you wear next to your skin, under other clothes.A2Underwriteverb · To accept the risk of an insurance policy, or to guarantee funds for a project.B2Undoverb · To open something that was fastened, or to reverse something you have just done.A2Undoubtedlyadverb · Used to emphasise that something is certainly true.B2Undueadjective · More than is reasonable, legal, or necessary.C1Uneasyadjective · Anxious or uncomfortable; of a truce, unstable.C1Unemployedadjective · Without a paid job.A2Unemploymentnoun · The situation of people not having a job; also the rate of that (uncountable).B2Unequivocaladjective · Leaving no doubt; clear and firm.C1Unevenadjective · Not level, equal, or consistent.C1Unexpectedadjective · Surprising because you did not think it would happen.A2Unfairadjective · Not treating people equally, or not right.A2Unfoldverb · To happen or develop; also to open something that was folded.B2Unforgettableadjective · So special or strong that you will always remember it.A2Unfortunateadjective · Unlucky, or regrettable.B2Unfortunatelyadverb · Used to say that something is sad or unlucky.B1Unfoundedadjective · Not based on evidence or fact.C1Unfriendlyadjective · Not kind or welcoming to other people.A2Unhappyadjective · Not happy; sad.A1Unhealthyadjective · Not good for your health; also not in good health.A2Uninoun · University (UK informal).B1Uniformnoun · Special clothes that students or workers wear so they look the same.A1Unifyverb · To join separate parts into one whole.B2Unilateraladjective · Done by one person or group without the agreement of others.C1Unimportantadjective · Not important; not worth much worry.A2Unionnoun · An organisation of workers; also the joining of things or countries.B2Uniqueadjective · The only one of its kind; very special.B1Unitnoun · A single thing treated as a whole, especially for analysis, housing, or organisation.C1Uniteverb · To come or bring together for a shared purpose.B2Unitedadjective · Joined as one group, nation, or purpose.C1Unitynoun · The state of being joined or in agreement (uncountable).B2Universaladjective · True or available for everyone, or in every case.B2Universenoun · All of space and matter; also the full set of cases under study.C1Universitynoun · A place where people study for a degree after school.A1Unjustadjective · Not fair or morally right, especially of a decision or system.C1Unknownadjective · Not known; as a noun, a person or thing that is not known.B2Unlawfuladjective · Not allowed by law.C1Unlessconjunction · Except if.B1Unlikepreposition · Different from; not like.A2Unlikelyadjective · Not probable; probably not going to happen.A2Unlimitedadjective · With no limit on amount or time.A2Unloadverb · To take goods off a vehicle or ship.A2Unlockverb · To open a lock with a key or a code.A2Unmarriedadjective · Not married.A2Unmistakableadjective · So clear that it cannot be confused with anything else.C1Unnecessaryadjective · Not needed; more than is useful.A2Unobtrusiveadjective · Not attracting attention; discreet (from discreet, already in the dictionary).C1Unpackverb · To take things out of a suitcase or box.A2Unpaidadjective · Not paid; without money for the work.A2Unpalatableadjective · Unpleasant to taste, or hard to accept (from unpleasant, already in the dictionary).C1Unpleasantadjective · Not enjoyable; likely to make you feel uncomfortable.A2Unpopularadjective · Not liked by many people.A2Unprecedentedadjective · Never known or done before.C1Unpredictableadjective · Changing in a way that is hard to guess.B2Unravelverb · To undo, or to become clear; also to fall apart (from undo, already in the dictionary).C1Unreliableadjective · Not able to be trusted or depended on.B2Unremittingadjective · Never stopping or becoming less intense (from constant, already in the dictionary).C1Unrestnoun · A situation in which people protest or fight, often in public (uncountable).B2Unsafeadjective · Not safe; dangerous.A2Unsavouryadjective · Unpleasant, morally or physically (British spelling).C2Unscrupulousadjective · Without moral principles; ready to act dishonestly (from dishonest, already in the dictionary).C1Unseenadjective · Not seen or noticed; of an exam, not previously shown to candidates.C1Unstableadjective · Likely to change, fail, or collapse.C1Unsuccessfuladjective · Not achieving what you wanted.A2Unsuitableadjective · Not right or good enough for a purpose or person.A2Unsureadjective · Not certain; not confident.A2Untenableadjective · Impossible to defend or to continue with.C2Untilpreposition · Up to a particular time.A2Unusedadjective · Not being used; also unused to — not accustomed.C1Unusualadjective · Different from what is normal or expected.A2Unveilverb · To show or announce something new officially; also to remove a covering from a statue.B2Unwelladjective · A little ill; not well (British).A1Unwieldyadjective · Hard to handle because large, heavy, or complicated (from cumbersome, already in the dictionary).C1Unwillingadjective · Not wanting to do something.A2Unwittingadjective · Not aware of what you are doing or of the effect you have.C2Unwrapverb · To take the paper or covering off a gift or packet.A2Upadverb · Towards a higher place.A1Upbraidverb · To criticise someone severely (from criticise, already in the dictionary).C1Upbringingnoun · The way a child is raised and the teaching they receive at home (usually uncountable).B2Updateverb · To make something more modern or to give the newest information.B1Upgradeverb · To improve something to a better standard; as a noun, that improvement.B2Upheavalnoun · A sudden, violent, or disruptive change.C1Upheldadjective · Confirmed as valid by a court, board, or senior body (from uphold).C1Upholdverb · To support a decision, law, or principle and keep it in force.B2Upkeepnoun · The work or cost of keeping a building, machine, or place in good condition (usually uncountable).B2Uploadverb · To send a file from your device to the internet.A2Uponpreposition · A more formal word for on.A2Upperadjective · In a higher position.A2Uprightadjective · Straight up, not lying down or leaning.A2Uprisingnoun · A situation in which a group of people start to fight against the people in power.B2Uproarnoun · A noisy public burst of anger, protest, or excitement (in uproar).B2Uprootverb · To force a person or community to leave their home; also to pull a plant out of the ground.B2Upsetadjective · Unhappy, worried, or disappointed because of something.A2Upshotnoun · The final result of a situation (from result, already in the dictionary).C1Upstairsadverb · To or on a higher floor of a building.A1Uptakenoun · The rate at which something is taken in or accepted (vaccine uptake; mineral uptake).B2Upwardadjective · Moving or pointing towards a higher position, amount, or rank.C1Upwardsadverb · Towards a higher place.A2Urbanadjective · Connected with a town or city.B2Urbaneadjective · Confident, polite, and comfortable in social situations, in a sophisticated way.C2Urgeverb · To strongly advise someone to do something.A2Urgentadjective · Needing to be dealt with immediately.B1Uspronoun · We, used as the object.A1Usagenoun · The way something is used, or how much it is used.A2USB Sticknoun · A small memory device that plugs into a USB port (UK; also a memory stick).B1Useverb · To do something with a thing for a purpose.A1Usefuladjective · Helping you to do something or solve a problem.A2Uselessadjective · Not helpful; not doing what you need.A2Usernoun · A person who uses a product, service, or machine.A2Usualadjective · Normal; the same as most times.A1Usuallyadverb · Most of the time; in the normal way.A2Usurpverb · To take someone’s power, role, or place without the right to do so.C2Utiliseverb · To use something effectively; a more formal word for use.B2Utilitarianadjective · Designed to be useful rather than attractive (from practical, already in the dictionary).C1Utilitynoun · A public service such as water, gas, or electricity; also usefulness (formal).B2Utmostadjective · The greatest possible; also (noun) the most that can be done.C1Utteradjective · Complete; also (verb) to say.C1Utterancenoun · Something that is said; a spoken word, phrase, or remark.B2Utterlyadverb · Completely; used for emphasis, often with a negative idea.B2