Why should we bother to invest our time in learning some nouns that start with U? Well, the reason is pretty simple that these nouns starting with U or other letters help us communicate effectively and communication is an essential and fundamental part of our lives, no matter which aspect of life we choose to look at. For instance, we humans have an innate desire to socialize and meet new people, and the best way of doing this is by communicating.
Sharing our ideas, moral values and emotions allows us to connect with people at a deeper level and form a genuine bond. Similarly, the part that communication skills play in marital life is also very significant. Most marriages don’t make it till the end because one person is not able to convey or transmit his/her feelings to the other one. Analogously we can extend this concept to every other aspect of life.
But to communicate effectively, you must develop a smashing vocabulary, it might take some time but it will be worth it. To help you achieve this goal we’ve decided to compile a list of nouns that start with U. There are a lot of fruitful and effective nouns beginning with U which we’ll encounter in this article. Make sure you segregate the ones that you think are agreeable with your style. So, let’s have a look at some of these nouns that start with U.
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Table of Contents
Nouns That Start with U You Always Use
Let’s start this article with nouns that start with U which we always use in our lives. You will surely come across a lot of familiar words in this segment.
1. Ugliness
- Definition: the quality of being unpleasant or repulsive in appearance
- Synonyms: wickedness, sliminess, repulsiveness, vileness
- Example: Helena gives a soliloquy comparing her ugliness to Hermia’s beauty.
2. Ulcer
- Definition: an open sore on an external or internal surface of the body, caused by a break in the skin or mucous membrane which fails to heal ulcers range from small, painful sores in the mouth to bedsores and serious lesions of the stomach or intestine
- Synonyms: sore, ulceration, abscess, boil
- Example: She had an ulcer in her mouth.
3. Usage
- Definition: the action of using something or the fact of being used
- Synonyms: utilization, use, employment, consumption
- Example: We conducted a survey of water usage in this area.
4. Unbeliever
- Definition: someone who has no religious beliefs, or who does not follow a particular religion
- Synonyms: infidel, heretic, non-believer, atheist
- Example: He used to be an unbeliever himself.
5. Upgrade
- Definition: an act of upgrading something
- Synonyms: improvement, betterment, make better, ameliorate
- Example: The hotel offered us a room upgrade.
6. Ultrasound
- Definition: sound or other vibrations having an ultrasonic frequency, particularly as used in medical imaging
- Synonyms: examination, screening
- Example: I have to take my daughter-in-law for her ultrasound.
7. Umbrella
- Definition: a device consisting of a circular canopy of cloth on a folding metal frame supported by a central rod, used as protection against rain
- Synonyms: parasol, sunshade
- Example: Bring an umbrella with you.
8. Unawareness
- Definition: the state of not knowing or realizing that something is happening or that something exists
- Synonyms: ignorance, immaturity, obliviousness, unfamiliarity
- Example: Unawareness creates risk.
9. Uncertainty
- Definition: the state of being uncertain
- Synonyms: unpredictability, unreliability, riskiness, chanciness
- Example: These are times of uncertainty and danger.
10. User
- Definition: a person who uses or operates something
- Synonyms: operator, end user
- Example: The user should press return and a message will be displayed.
Nouns That Start with U You Usually Use
In this segment, we will catch sight of words which are a part of our everyday life. We’ll also see synonyms so that you don’t end up using the same words every time. So, let’s get right to these nouns starting with U.
1. Unavailability
- Definition: the state of being unable to be used or obtained
- Synonyms: inaccessibility, unattainability
- Example: They complained about the unavailability of refreshments during the long wait.
2. Unconscious
- Definition: the part of the mind which is inaccessible to the conscious mind but which affects behavior and emotions.
- Synonyms: subconscious, psyche, ego
- Example: The horrific apparitions surfaced out of the recesses of his unconscious.
3. Unconventionality
- Definition: disregard for convention; the state or quality of being inconsistent with customs, rules, etc.
- Synonyms: originality, inconsistency
- Example: His unconventionality is quite remarkable.
4. Unemployment
- Definition: the state of being unemployed
- Synonyms: redundancy, dismissal, discharge
- Example: There has been a rise in both inflation and unemployment.
5. Upstairs
- Definition: an upper floor
- Synonyms: upper floor, upper story, roof
- Example: She was cleaning the upstairs.
6. Use
- Definition: the action of using something or the state of being used for a purpose
- Synonyms: utilization, application, usage, employment
- Example: Modern trains are now in use.
7. Utility
- Definition: the state of being useful, profitable, or beneficial
- Synonyms: usefulness, use, advantage, benefit
- Example: He had a poor opinion of the utility of book learning.
8. Universe
- Definition: a particular sphere of activity or experience
- Synonyms: province, world, sphere
- Example: The front parlor was the hub of her universe.
9. Uniform
- Definition: the distinctive clothing worn by members of the same organization or body or by children attending certain schools
- Synonyms: costume, dress, livery, habit
- Example: Let’s go buy your school uniform.
10. U-turn
- Definition: the turning of a vehicle in a u-shaped course so as to face in the opposite direction
- Synonyms: one-eighty, about turn, about-face
- Example: The car made a U-turn and headed back at high speed.
Nouns That Start with U You Often Use
Nouns that begin with the letter U may not be very flashy and conspicuous but their practicality and frequent use are the things that make them very useful. Don’t forget to practice these nouns beginning with U to get a hang of them.
1. Update
- Definition: an act of updating something or someone or an updated version of something
- Synonyms: brief, refresh
- Example: I received an update on recently published crime figures.
2. Utensil
- Definition: a tool, container, or other article, especially for household use
- Synonyms: tool, instrument, device, apparatus
- Example: She went to buy some kitchen utensils.
3. Uneasiness
- Definition: a feeling of anxiety or discomfort
- Synonyms: self-consciousness, uncomfortableness, inquietude, qualm
- Example: I sensed the uneasiness of people around me.
4. Unevenness
- Definition: the quality or fact of not being level, equal, flat, or continuous
- Synonyms: irregularity, patchiness, asymmetry
- Example: The unevenness of the ground caused me to trip up on every stone.
5. Unfairness
- Definition: lack of equality or justice
- Synonyms: unjustness, darkness, injustice
- Example: He protested the unfairness of the tribunal’s procedure.
6. Unhappiness
- Definition: the feeling of not being happy
- Synonyms: sadness, sorrow, dejection, depression
- Example: I’ve seen too much unhappiness caused by broken marriages.
7. Unicorn
- Definition: a mythical animal typically represented as a horse with a single straight horn projecting from its forehead
- Synonyms: imaginary horse
- Example: He’s modeled a unicorn in wax.
8. Uniformity
- Definition: the quality or state of being uniform
- Synonyms: consistency, conformity, steadiness, invariability
- Example: It was an attempt to impose administrative and cultural uniformity.
9. Union
- Definition: the action of joining together or the fact of being joined together, especially in a political context
- Synonyms: unification, uniting, joining, merging
- Example: He was opposed to a closer political or economic union with Europe.
10. Uniqueness
- Definition: the quality of being the only one of its kind
- Synonyms: distinctiveness, oneness, singleness, separateness
- Example: Because of their small numbers and uniqueness, these watches are always in high demand.
Nouns That Start with U You Sometimes Use
In formal business meetings, it is common to use a unique and stylish noun to leave a good impression. That’s why one should always have an excellent understanding of these words. Let’s read on to see some such nouns that start with letter U.
1. Unit
- Definition: an individual thing or person regarded as single and complete but which can also form an individual component of a larger or more complex whole
- Synonyms: component, part, section, element
- Example: This is a large area of land made up of smaller units.
2. University
- Definition: a high-level educational institution in which students study for degrees and academic research is done
- Synonyms: college, academy, educational establishment, educational institution
- Example: I went to university at the Sorbonne.
3. Unlikelihood
- Definition: the state or fact of not being likely to happen, be done, or be true
- Synonyms: impracticality, contrariety, unfeasibility, difficulty
- Example: He can take comfort in the extreme unlikelihood of a prosecution.
4. Unpleasantness
- Definition: the state or quality of being unpleasant
- Synonyms: trauma, pain, painfulness, agony
- Example: Their faces were filled with unpleasantness.
5. Unrest
- Definition: a state of dissatisfaction, disturbance, and agitation, typically involving public demonstrations or disorder
- Synonyms: disruption, disturbance, agitation
- Example: It was a time also of great social unrest.
6. Uganda
- Definition: Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East-Central Africa.
- Synonyms: (noun)
- Example: He is from Uganda.
7. Unaffordability
- Definition: the state or condition of being unaffordable
- Synonyms: unattainability, unobtainability, inaccessibility, impossibility
- Example: The unaffordability of housing is a huge issue these days.
8. Upheaval
- Definition: a violent or sudden change or disruption to something
- Synonyms: disruption, upset, trouble, turbulence
- Example: Today marked major upheavals in the financial markets.
9. Ultimatum
- Definition: a final demand or statement of terms, the rejection of which will result in retaliation or a breakdown in relations
- Synonyms: claim, demand, dun, importunity
- Example: He gave me an ultimatum: either Tom had to leave, or me.
10. Urgency
- Definition: importance requiring swift action
- Synonyms: importance, top priority, imperativeness, weightiness
- Example: The discovery of the ozone hole gave urgency to the issue of CFCs.
Nouns That Start with U You Occasionally Use
To distinguish yourself from the rest of the crowd it is imperative to learn some infrequently used words because someday it might help you from an embarrassing moment. So, let’s have a look at a few of these occasionally used nouns with letter U.
1. Un-doer
- Definition: a person or something that destroys or ruins
- Synonyms: destroyer, ruiner, up rooter, waster
- Example: Jealousy was his un-doer.
2. Undoing
- Definition: a person’s ruin or downfall
- Synonyms: downfall, defeat, vanquishing, toppling
- Example: He knew of his ex-partners role in his undoing.
3. Up-burst
- Definition: a burst upwards; a burst up through the surface
- Synonyms: breach, blow out, rupture, explosion
- Example: The up-burst of water broke the pipe.
4. Undulation
- Definition: the action of moving smoothly up and down
- Synonyms: fluctuate, oscillate, sway, swing
- Example: The soft undulation of the waves animates the scene.
5. Underarm
- Definition: a person’s armpit
- Synonyms: armpits
- Example: She shaved her legs and underarms.
6. Ultra
- Definition: an extremist
- Synonyms: extremist, radical, fanatic, rebel
- Example: Several hundred Napoli ultras protested the closure of their clubs’ ground.
7. Ukulele
- Definition: a small four-stringed guitar of Hawaiian origin
- Synonyms: soprano ukulele, small guitar
- Example: George Formby made the ukulele famous in his films in the 1940s.
8. Unequalness
- Definition: The state or quality of being disproportionate or out of proportion
- Synonyms: disproportionateness, inequity, disproportion, imbalance
- Example: There are certain obscure peculiarities to elucidate in this curious unequalness.
9. Upbeat
- Definition: an unaccented beat, esp. immediately preceding a downbeat
- Synonyms: beat, music, high note
- Example: Add a little more upbeat in the song.
10. Unessential
- Definition: not absolutely necessary; inessential
- Synonyms: unnecessary, not necessary, non-essential, not needed
- Example: Please don’t buy unessentials.
Nouns That Start with U You Seldom Use
In this section, we’ll go through noun words that start with U which we don’t hear every day. These seldom used nouns can help us to cultivate and nurture our writing style and give it a distinguishable tone. Let’s have a quick look at some of these noun words starting with U.
1. Usury
- Definition: the action or practice of lending money at unreasonably high rates of interest
- Synonyms: loan-sharking, payday lending
- Example: The payday loans, exempt from usury laws, carry an annual interest rate of 390%.
2. Unexperience
- Definition: lack of knowledge, skill, or wisdom gained from experience
- Synonyms: rawness, simpleness, naïveté, greenness
- Example: The team’s defensive errors were a result of their unexperience.
3. Undertone
- Definition: a subdued or muted tone of sound or color
- Synonyms: murmur, whisper, mutter
- Example: They were talking in undertones.
4. Uprising
- Definition: an act of resistance or rebellion
- Synonyms: rebellion, revolution, revolt
- Example: Following a determined resistance in the east, there was eventually a popular uprising in the capital.
5. Unfoldment
- Definition: the gradual development or revelation of something
- Synonyms: unroll, unfurl, open out, flatten
- Example: This plays an important role in the unfoldment of subsequent events.
6. Undertow
- Definition: a current of water below the surface and moving in a different direction from any surface current
- Synonyms: vortex, surge, turbulence
- Example: I was swept away by the undertow.
7. Univalent
- Definition: a chromosome that lacks a synaptic mate
- Synonyms: single chromosome
- Example: There are two types of chromosomes; univalent and divalent.
8. Unicyclist
- Definition: a person who rides a unicycle
- Synonyms: cyclist
- Example: He is a great unicyclist.
9. Unimportance
- Definition: the state or fact of lacking in importance or significance
- Synonyms: insignificance, frivolousness, inconsequence, pettiness
- Example: The relative unimportance of wider kin ties in British culture.
10. Umbrage
- Definition: offense or annoyance
- Synonyms: take offense, be offended, take exception, bridle
- Example: She took umbrage at his remarks.
Positive Nouns That Start with U
Communicating politely and respectfully will help you build a good rapport with everyone around you, it doesn’t matter if it’s your boss or a colleague. These positive nouns that start with U will help you a lot to accomplish this goal.
1. Uprightness
- Definition: the condition or quality of being honorable or honest; rectitude
- Synonyms: decency, integrity, principle
- Example: He always performs his duties with integrity and uprightness.
2. Ultimate
- Definition: the best achievable or imaginable of its kind
- Synonyms: best, ideal, greatest, supreme
- Example: This furniture is the ultimate in decorative luxury.
3. Usefulness
- Definition: the quality or fact of being useful
- Synonyms: functionality, practicality, serviceability, fitness
- Example: There are many faults that affect the book’s usefulness.
4. Upside
- Definition: the more positive aspect of a situation
- Synonyms: benefits, advantage
- Example: Being self-employed has its upside.
5. Understanding
- Definition: sympathetic awareness or tolerance
- Synonyms: empathy, compassion, concern
- Example: For peace to exist in the region there needs to be a much-improved understanding between all the parties concerned.
6. Universal
- Definition: a behavioral convention or pattern characteristic of all members of a particular culture or of all human beings
- Synonyms: common, omnipresent, all-embracing, all-inclusive
- Example: Some form of religion seems to be a human universal.
7. Up
- Definition: a period of good fortune or positive mood
- Synonyms: fortune, good times, positive results
- Example: You can’t have ups all the time in life.
8. Up-and-comer
- Definition: someone who shows promise in a particular field and appears likely to be successful
- Synonyms: doer, player, generator, the man of influence
- Example: Selena Gomez, as her television series proves, is a talented up-and-comer.
9. Utmost
- Definition: the greatest or most extreme extent or amount
- Synonyms: greatest, maximum, best, uttermost
- Example: This is a plot that stretches credulity to the utmost.
10. Uplift
- Definition: an instance of being raised or increased
- Synonyms: boost, raise, buoy up, cheer up
- Example: The whole club has seen an uplift in confidence.
Nouns That Start with U to Describe a Person
Oftentimes we need nouns to describe a person based upon his characteristics. So, in this last segment, we’ll have a look at a few nouns that start with U to describe a person.
1. Understudy
- Definition: (in the theatre) a person who learns another’s role in order to be able to act at short notice in their absence
- Synonyms: stand-in, substitute, replacement, reserve
- Example: He has played as an understudy to Celtic’s usual goalkeeper.
2. Upholder
- Definition: a person or organization that upholds a law, a principle, or a decision that has been made
- Synonyms: defender, supporter
- Example: She joined the police force and became an upholder of law and order.
3. Unique
- Definition: a unique person or thing
- Synonyms: distinctive, individual, special
- Example: Some of Lamb’s writings were so memorably beautiful as to be uniques in their class.
4. Underwriter
- Definition: a person or company that underwrites an insurance risk
- Synonyms: insurance agent, insurance broker, backer
- Example: None of the insurance underwriters were willing to offer cover.
5. Undergraduate
- Definition: a university student who has not yet taken a first degree
- Synonyms: first-year student, bachelor’s student
- Example: I saw a group of Oxford undergraduates on the way.
6. Uncle
- Definition: the brother of one’s father or mother or the husband of one’s aunt
- Synonyms: relative, relation, blood relation, blood relative
- Example: He visited his uncle.
7. Umpire
- Definition: (in some sports) an official who watches a game or match closely to enforce the rules and arbitrate on matters arising from the play
- Synonyms: referee, linesman judge, line judge
- Example: The umpire ruled that the batsman was out.
8. Underdog
- Definition: a competitor thought to have little chance of winning a fight or contest
- Synonyms: weaker party, victim, prey
- Example: We go into this game as the underdogs.
9. Universalist
- Definition: a person advocating loyalty to and concern for others without regard to national or other allegiances
- Synonyms: universalization, conformity, orthodoxy, generalization
- Example: It is a policy founded on universalist principles.
10. Urchin
- Definition: a young child who is poorly or raggedly dressed
- Synonyms: monkey, puck, rascal, minx
- Example: He was surrounded by a dozen street urchins in rags.
Nouns That Start with U – Full List (158 Words)
- Utilization
- Upheaval
- Unequalness
- Universality
- Uninitiate
- Uptake
- Unbalance
- Undergrowth
- Underpayment
- Uprightness
- Uranyl
- Use
- Unreliability
- Unease
- Uranium
- Unacceptability
- Ultimate
- Ultra
- Underwriter
- Undertone
- Utmost
- Utterance
- Undertow
- Univalent
- Upholstery
- Unconcern
- Unrealism
- Urbanism
- Uniqueness
- Upsurge
- Uplift
- Undercut
- Undershirt
- Ukulele
- Usage
- Urn
- Universalist
- Unhappiness
- Union
- Ultracentrifuge
- Upright
- Unique
- Unicycle
- Urethane
- Usury
- Uttermost
- Unicorn
- Urchin
- Understanding
- Umbrella
- Unpredictability
- Upgrade
- Upturn
- Usher
- Upholder
- Underworld
- Uptown
- Upside
- Unrest
- Upkeep
- Unfortunate
- Uncle
- Uncertainty
- Underarm
- Update
- Uneasiness
- Unconsciousness
- Unification
- Underachievement
- Uptrend
- University
- Unavailability
- Uganda
- Un-doer
- Unicyclist
- Underclassman
- Up-and-comer
- Uppercut
- Underside
- Up
- Underdog
- Unity
- Urethra
- Unbeliever
- Unfoldment
- Unknown
- Untruth
- Urine
- Unambiguity
- Uberty
- Unevenness
- Unanimity
- Unreason
- Undoing
- Usefulness
- Ultimation
- Undercurrent
- Unction
- Unaffordability
- Unlikelihood
- Unit
- Unexperience
- Udder
- Uprising
- Unfairness
- Unchastity
- Unison
- Understructure
- Utensil
- Ultrasound
- Umbrage
- Understudy
- Up-burst
- Ultimatum
- Urgency
- Uncircumcision
- Urge
- Utility
- Unconscious
- Undergraduate
- Upperclassmen
- Uremia
- Upbeat
- Umpire
- Unawareness
- Utopianism
- Unemployment
- Ubiquitary
- Universal
- Urea
- Ultracentrifugation
- Underbelly
- Ugliness
- Understatement
- Upset
- Upshot
- Undertaker
- Uproar
- U-turn
- Underground
- Universe
- Upstairs
- Unessential
- Underwear
- Unconventionality
- Urbanization
- Umber
- Unpleasantness
- User
- Uniformity
- Undulation
- Utopian
- Ulcer
- Uniform
- Unimportance
- Underbrush
- Utopia
- Unreality
Final Thoughts on Nouns That Start with U
Congratulations on making it to the end, it shows how motivated you are to learn, grow and become better than you were yesterday. But you mustn’t restrict yourself only to these nouns that start with U, you should also check out these other lists of adjectives, adverbs, and positive words that will contribute a lot to your vocabulary.
We know that it’s a prolonged and demanding task but as Jack Ma said: “Today is hard, tomorrow will be worse but the day after tomorrow will be sunshine.” We hope you were able to learn some useful and practical nouns beginning with U.
Since there are plenty of nouns that start with U hence it’s possible that we might’ve missed some of them. So, if you believe that we’ve missed some important nouns starting with U, do tell us about them in the comment section.