U – Z
unavailable(UHN uh VAY li bl) adj. 1. that which cannot be obtained or had;
unreachable; 2. not willing to attend or serve (in a position)
- When Carol tried to get Gerald’s address, she found it to be unavailable.
- The senator from Arizona was unavailableto run as the candidate for vice
president.
[unavailably adv.]
unavoidable(UHN uh VOY di bl) adj. 1. something that can’t be avoided;
inevitable; 2. that cannot be nullified or voided - When the car began to skid, hitting the lamppost was unavoidable.
- After the summons had been issued by the officer, the need to respond to
it was unavoidable.
[unavoidably adv.]
underestimate (UHN doer ES ti mayt) vt. to undervalue something; set an esti-
mate that is too low —n. too low an evaluation of something’s worth - The appraiser underestimatedthe value of the painting in Diane’s living
room. - Victor’s conception of how much study time was needed before taking his
finals proved to be an underestimate.
[-d, underestimating]
undermine (UHN der myn) vt. 1. to dig beneath; tunnel; mine; 2. to wear away
and weaken the supports of something; 3. to weaken or impair, especially by
stealthy or underhanded means - The prisoners underminedthe wall in an attempt to escape.
- The bridge’s supports had been underminedby the rushing waters of the
river below it. - The authority of the government was underminedby the actions of the
guerrilla forces.
[-d, undermining*] [Syn. weaken]
undesirable(UHN diz YR i bl) adj. not desirable or pleasing; objectionable —n.
an undesirable person - Using television as a babysitter might have an undesirableeffect on the
children’s education. - Speaking loudly in a library is considered undesirablebehavior.
- Vagrants are often treated by society as undesirables.
[undesirably adv.]
unfetter(uhn FET ir) vt. to free from restraints of any kind; to liberate - The coach needs to be unfetteredso that she can experiment with using
different players at different positions. - Unfetterthe dog so that he may run about the yard.
[-ed, -ing] [Syn. liberate]
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