This page gathers the 5,691 dictionary entries of which at least one sense is labelled “Figuratively” by Wiktionary. The definition shown is that sense; each word leads to its full entry. Page 52 of 57: from “totem pole” to “two-time loser”.
- totem pole noun A hierarchy or ranking of importance.
- totter verb To be on the brink of collapse.
- touchstone noun A standard of comparison or evaluation.
- tough adj Of a person or animal, rugged or physically hardy.
- tourism noun The act of visiting another region or jurisdiction for a particular purpose.
- tower noun An item of various kinds, such as a computer case, that is higher than it is wide.
- Tower of Babel noun A visionary and impractical plan.
- tower over verb To be much greater or more important than.
- town crier noun A gossip.
- toxic adj Severely negative or harmful.
- trailblazer noun One who is the first to do something in a particular field; an innovator, a pioneer.
- train noun A group or class of people.
- train wreck noun A disaster, especially one which is large, chaotic, and readily seen by public observers.
- trajectory noun A course of development, such as that of a war or career.
- transition time noun Lost or wasted time between an activity or an event during which nothing has been planned or no action can occur.
- translator noun A person or thing that expresses an idea or style in a new form or medium.
- transom noun Items that have arrived over the transom.
- transport verb To move (someone) to strong emotion; to carry away.
- trapan verb To trap or trick (someone), especially by using some stratagem, into doing something that benefits the perpetrator but harms the victim; to…
- trapstick noun A slender leg.
- trash noun Something worthless or of poor quality.
- trash heap of history noun A notional place where events, people or objects which have been forgotten or have become irrelevant from a historical perspective are…
- trashfire noun A dumpster fire; a disaster.
- treacle noun Synonym of cure: an all-powerful curative for some particular affliction.
- tread verb To proceed, to behave (in a certain manner).
- tread the boards verb To write plays for the theatre.
- tread water verb To make no progress, expending effort just enough to maintain a stable position.
- treadmill verb To keep busy, for example, with work or with other tasks, without being able to get ahead or make progress towards long-term goals.
- treasure noun Anything greatly valued.
- treasure chest noun Any source of something valuable or beautiful.
- treasure house noun A collection of (usually intangible) valuable things.
- treasure trove noun A place where many things of value can be found.
- tree worm noun A lowly, parasitic individual; slimeball, lowlife.
- tremble verb To fear; to be afraid.
- trench warfare noun Fighting of any sort which offers no hope of ending soon.
- trenchant adj Keen; biting; vigorously articulate and effective; severe.
- trenches noun A difficult or disadvantageous situation; a low point.
- trental noun Synonym of triacontad, any set of thirty things.
- trial balloon noun An idea, suggestion, or prospective action, product, etc., offered to an audience or group in order to test whether it generates acceptance…
- tribune noun A protector of the people; a public figure who appeals to and on behalf of the people through oratory.
- trifecta noun The attainment of three important achievements, qualities, etc.
- trifle noun Anything that is of little importance or worth.
- trigger verb To spark a response, especially a negative emotional response, in (a person).
- trillionaire noun Synonym of gazillionaire (“an incredibly rich person”).
- trim one's sails verb To adapt to changing circumstances, especially if it involves scaling back one's ambitions; to make cutbacks.
- trinket noun A thing of little practical and/or monetary value; a toy, a trifle.
- trip noun An error; a failure; a mistake.
- tripe noun Something foolish or valueless, especially written works and popular entertainment (movies, television).
- triple down verb To significantly increase (a risk, investment, or other commitment) to a maximum; to respond to a challenge by reinforcing or extending…
- triptych noun Any set of three closely connected ideas or objects.
- tripwire noun Any means of detecting intruders or attackers.
- triumvirate noun Any group of three people regarded as significant in some way; also (rare), a group of three things; a trio.
- Trojan horse noun A subversive person or device placed within the ranks of the enemy.
- troll verb To attract or draw out (someone or something); to allure, to elicit, to entice, to lure.
- trooper noun Misspelling of trouper (“one who stoically endures adversity”) .
- tropism noun Of a person: an instinctive predilection or tendency; also (generally), a liking, a preference.
- troubled waters noun Difficulties, chaos, tribulations, or other confusing and problematic aspects of a situation.
- trouper noun One who endures adversity or hardship with an attitude of stoicism and persistence
- trowel verb To apply something heavily or unsubtly.
- true north noun A correct course or right direction.
- truffler noun A person who keenly seeks something out.
- trump noun Something that gives one an advantage, especially one held in reserve.
- trump card noun Something used to obtain an advantage, sometimes unscrupulously.
- trumpet noun One who praises, or propagates praise, or is the instrument of propagating it.
- trumpet call noun Any call to action.
- trumpeter noun One who proclaims, publishes, or denounces.
- try verb To receive an imminent attack; to take.
- try on for size verb To test something for suitability.
- tsar noun A person with great power; an autocrat.
- tsunami noun A large and generally unstoppable surge.
- tulip mania noun Any asset bubble (such as a stock bubble), especially when the irony of human folly that it illustrates is being emphasized.
- tun noun Synonym of ton: any extremely or excessively large amount.
- tunnel noun Anything that resembles a tunnel.
- tunnel vision noun The tendency to focus one's attention on one specific idea or viewpoint, to the exclusion of everything else.
- turn verb To navigate through a book or other printed material.
- turn around verb To change drastically in a fundamental way, often for the better; to change to the opposite (opinion or position).
- turn away verb To refuse to admit someone or accept something.
- turn one's back verb To forsake, to abandon; to ignore.
- turn turtle verb To fail; to go belly up.
- turn up noun A stroke of good luck; something that appears unexpectedly; especially in turn up for the book.
- turtling noun Any slow progression or build-up.
- tweaked adj Broken, messy, out of order.
- twenty-four seven adv Constantly, with little or no interruption; continually; very often.
- twilight noun An in-between or fading condition through which something is perceived.
- twilight zone noun A region or context located in between others and therefore not subject to their norms.
- twin noun Either of two or more things, people, etc. that share a single feature.
- twinge noun A turn, a twist.
- twinkie noun An actor, actress, or public figure who is considered to be no more than eye candy.
- twist of the knife noun An action that worsens a difficult situation or increases a person's distress, irritation, or anger.
- twist someone's arm verb To coerce, force, or cajole.
- twist the knife verb To deliberately do or say something to worsen a difficult situation or increase a person's distress, irritation, or anger.
- twisted adj Intimately associated or connected; united; combined.
- twitchy adj irritable, cranky, nervous, anxious, worried
- two plus two equals five phrase A transparently absurd claim, often accepted as a result of a tyrannical government or mass delusion.
- two touch noun A mode of interaction that keeps physical intimacy to a minimum.
- two-fisted drinker noun Someone who can handle their liquor well
- two-hand touch noun A mode of interaction that keeps physical intimacy to a minimum.
- two-sided adj Having two aspects or viewpoints.
- two-step verb To move around as if dancing a two-step.
- two-time loser noun A person who has failed at the same endeavor for a second time.