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194 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
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Abate
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V. Subside or moderate.
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Rather than leaving immediately, they waited for the storm to abate.
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Aberrant
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Adj. Abnormal or deviant.
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Given the aberrant nature of the data, We came to doubt the validity of the entire experiment.
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Abeyance
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N. Suspended action.
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The deal was held in abeyance until her arrival.
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Abscond
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V. Depart secretly and hide.
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The teller who absconded with the bonds went uncaptured until someone recognized him from his photograph on America's Most Wanted.
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Abstemious
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Adj. Sparing in eating and drinking; Temperate.
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Concerened whether her vegetarian son's abstemious diedt provided him with sufficient protien, the worried mother pressed food on him.
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Admonish
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V. Warn; Reprove.
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He admonished his listeners to chage their wicked ways. Admonition, N.
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Adulterate
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V. Make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances.
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It is a crime to adulterate foods without informing the buyer; when consumers learned that Beechnut had adulterated its apple juice by miximg the juice with water, they protested vigorously. Adulteration, N.
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Asthetic
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Adj. Artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful.
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The beauty of Tiffany's stained glass appealed to Alice's aesthetic sense, N.
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Aggregate
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V. Gather; Accumulate.
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Before the Wall Street scandals, dealers in so-called junk bonds managed to aggregate great wealth in short periods of time. Also Adj. Aggregation.
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Alacrity
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N. Cheerful promptness; eagerness.
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Phil and Dave were raring to get off to the mountains; they packed up their ski gear and climbed into the van with alacrity.
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Alleviate
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V. Relieve.
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This should alleviate the pain; if it does not, we shall have to use stronger drugs.
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Amalgamate
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V. combine; unite in one body.
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The unions will attempt to amalgamate their groups into one national body.
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Ambigious
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Adj. Unclear or doubtful in meaning.
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His ambigious instructions misled us; we did not know which road to take. Ambiguity, N.
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Ambivalence
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N. The state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes.
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Torn between loving her parents one minute and hating them the next. she was confused by the ambivalence of her feelings. Ambivalent, Adj.
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Ameliorate
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V. Improve.
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Many social workers have attempted to ameliorate the conditions of people living in the slums.
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Anachronism
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N. Something or someone misplaced in time.
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Shakespeare's refference to clocks in Julius Caesar is an anachronism; no clocks existed in Caesar's time. Anachronistic, Adj.
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Analogous
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Adj. Comparable.
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She called our attention to the things that had been done in an analogous situation and recommended that we do the same.
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Anarchy
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N. Absence of governing body; state of disorder.
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The assassination of the leaders led to a period of anarchy.
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Anomaious
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Adj. Abnormal; irregular.
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She was placed in the anomaious position of seeming to approve procedures that she despised.
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Antipathy
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N. Aversion; dislike.
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Tom's exterme antipathy for disputes keeps him from getting into arguments with his temperamental wife. Noise in any form is antipathetic to him. Among his other antipathies are honking cars, boom boxes, and heavy metal rock.
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Apathy
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N. Lack of caring; indefference.
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A firm believer in democratic government, she could not understand the apathy of people who never bothered to vote. Apathetic, Adj.
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Appease
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V. Pacify or soothe; relieve.
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Tom and Jody tried to appease the crying baby by offering him on toy adter another. However, he would not calm down until they appeased his hunger by giving him a bottle. Appeasement, N.
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Apprise
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V. Inform
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When she was apprised of the dangerous weather conditions, she decided to postpone her trip.
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Approbation
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N. Approval.
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Wanting her parents'regard, she looked for some sign of their approbation.
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Appropriate
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V. Acquire; take possession of for one's own use.
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The ranch owners appropriated the lands that had originally been set aside for the indians' use.
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Arduous
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Adj, Hard; strenuous.
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Her arduous efforts had sapped her energy.
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Artless
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Adj. Without guile; open and honest.
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Red Ridding Hood's artless comment, "Grandma, what big eyes you have!" indicates the child's innocent surprise at her "grandmother's" changed apperance.
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Ascetic
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Adj. Practicing self-denial; austere.
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The wealthy, self-indulgent young man felt oddly drawn to the strict, ascetic life led by members of some monastic orders. Also N. Asceticism.
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Assiduous
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Adj. Diligent.
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It took Rembrandt weeks of assiduous labor before he was satisfied with his portrait of his son.
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Assuage
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V. Ease or lessen (pain); satisify (hunger); soothe (anger).
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Jilted by Jane, Dick tried to assuage his heartache by indulging in ice cream. One gallon later, her had assuaged his appetite but not his greif. Assuagement, N.
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Attenuate
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V. Make thin; weaken.
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By withdrawing their forces, the generals hoped to attenuate the enemy lines.
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Audacious
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Adj. Daring; bold.
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Audiences cheered as Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia made their audacious, death-defying leap to freedom and escaped Darth Vader's troops. Audacity, N.
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Austere
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Adj. Forbiddingly stern; severely simple and unornamented.
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The headmaster's austere demeanor tended to scare off the more timid students, who never visited his study willingly. The room reflected the man austere and bare, like a monk's cell, with no touches of luxry to moderate its austerity.
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Autonomous
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Adj. Self-governing.
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Although the University of California at Berkeley is just one part of the state university system, in many ways Cal Berkeley is autonomous, for it runs several programs that are not subject to outside control. Autonomy, N.
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Aver
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V. State confidently.
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I wish to aver that I am certain of success.
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Banal
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Adj. Hackneyed; Commonplace; trite; lacking originality.
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The hack writer's worn-out cliches made his comic sketch seem banal. He even resorted to the banality of having someone slip on a banana peel.
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Belie
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V. Contradict; give a false impression.
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His coarse, hard-bitten exterior belied his innate sensitivity.
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Beneficent
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Adj. Kindly; doing good.
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The overgenerous philanthropist had to curb his beneficent impulses before he gave away all his money and left himself with nothing.
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Bolster
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V. Support; reinforce.
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The debaters ammassed file boxes full of evidence to bolster their arguments.
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Bombastic
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Adj. Pompous; using inflated language.
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Puffed up with conceit, the orator spoke in such a bombastic manner that we longed to deflate him. Bombast, N.
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Boorish
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Adj. Rude; insensitive.
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Though Mr. Potts constantly interrupted his wife, she ignored his boorish behavior, for she had lost hope or teaching him courtesy.
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Burgeon
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V. Grow forth; send out buds.
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In spring, the plants that burgeon are promise of the beauty that is to come.
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Burnish
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V. Make shiny by rubbing; polish.
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The maid burnished the brass fixtures until they reflected the lamplight.
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Buttress
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V. Support; prop up.
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Just as architects buttress the walls of cathedrals with flying buttresses, debaters buttress their arguments with facts. Also N.
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Cacophonous
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Adj. Discordant; inharmonious.
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Do the students in the orchestra enjoy the cacophonous shounds they make when they're tuning up? I don't know how they can stand the racket. Cacophony, N.
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Capricious
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Adj. Unpreditable; fickle.
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The storm was capricious: it changed course constantly. Jill was capricious, too: she changed boyfriends almost as often as she changed clothes.
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Castigation
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N. Punishment; Severe criticism.
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Sensitive even to mild critism, Woolf could not bear the castigation that she found in certain reviews. Castigate, V.
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Catalyst
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N. Agent that brings about a chemical change while it remains unaffected and unchanged.
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Many chemical reactions cannot take place without the presence of a catalyst.
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Caustic
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Adj. Burning; sarcastically biting.
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The critic's caustic remarks angered the hapless actors who were the subjects of the sarcasm.
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Chicanery
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N. Trickery; deception.
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Those sneaky lawyers misrepresented what occured, made up all sorts of implausible alternative scenarios to confuse the jurors, and in general depended on chicanery to win the case.
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Coagulate
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V. Thicken; Congeal; Clot.
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Even after you remove the pudding from the burner, it will continue to coagulate as it stands. Coagulant, N.
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Coda
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N. Concluding section of a musical or literanry composition.
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The piece concluded with a distinctive coda that strikingly brought together various motifs.
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Cogent
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Adj. Convincing.
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It was inevitable thatDavid chose to go to Harvard: he had several cogent reasons for doing so, including a full-tuition scholarship. Katya argued her case with such cogency that the jury had to decide in favor of her client.
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Commensurate
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Adj. Equal in extenct.
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Your eward will be commensurate with your effort.
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Compendium
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V. Brief, comprehensive summary.
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This text can serve as a compendium of the tremendous amount of new material being developed in this field.
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Complaisant
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Adj. Trying to please; obliging.
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The courtier obeyed the king's orders in a complaisant manner.
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Compliant
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Adj. Yeilding; conforming to requirments.
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Because Joel usually gave in and went along with whatever his freinds desired, his mother worried that he might be too complaint.
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Conciliatory
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Adj. Reconciling; soothing.
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She was still angry despite his conciliatory words. Consiliate, V.
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Condone
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V. Overlook; forgive; give tacit approval; excuse.
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Unlike Widow Douglass, who condoned Huck's minor offenses. Miss Watson did nothing but scold.
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Confound
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V. Confuse; puzzle.
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No mystery could confound Sherlock Holmes for long.
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Connoisseur
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N. Person competent to act as a judge or art, etc.; lover of an art.
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She had developed into a connoisseur of the words they use.
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Contention
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N. Claim; Thesis.
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It is our contention that, it you follow our tactics, you will boost your score on the GRE. Contend, V.
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Contentious
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Adj. Quarrelsome.
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Disagreeing violently with the referees' ruling, the coach became so contentious that the referees threw him out of the game.
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Contrite
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Adj. penitent.
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Her contrite tears did not influence the judge when he imposed sentence. Contrition, N.
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Conundrum
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N. riddle; difficult problem.
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During the long care ride, she invented conundrums to entertain the children.
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Converge
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V. Approach; tend to meet; come together.
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African-American men from all over the United States converged on Washington to take part in the historic Million Man March. Convergence, N.
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Convoluted
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Adj. Coiled around; involved; Intricate.
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His argument was so convoluted that few of us could follow it intelligently.
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Craven
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Adj. Cowardly.
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Lillian's craven refusal to join the protest was criticized by her comrades, who had expected he to be brave enough to stand up for her beliefs.
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Daunt
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V. Intimidate; frighten.
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"Boast all you like of your prowess Mere words cannot daunt me," the hero answered the villain.
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Decorum
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N. Propriety; orderliness and good taste in manners.
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Even the best-mannered studetns have trouble behaving with decorum on the last day of school. Decorous, Adj.
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Default
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N. Failure to act.
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When the visiting team failed to show up for the big game, they lost the game by default.
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Deference
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N. Courteous regard for another's wish.
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In deference to the minister's request, please do not take photographs during the wedding service.
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Delineate
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V. Portray; depict; sketch.
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Using only few descriptive phrases, Austen delineates the chracter of Mr. Collins so well that we can predict his every move. Delineation, N.
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Denigrate
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V. Blacken.
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All attempts to denigrate the chracter of our late president have failed; the people still love him and cherish his memory.
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Deride
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V. Ridicule; make fun of.
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The critics derided his pretentious dialogue and refused to consider his play seriously. Despite the critics' derision, however, audiences were moved by the play, cheering its unabashedly sentimental conclusion. Derisive, Adj.
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Derivative
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Adj. Unoriginal; obtained from another source.
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Although her early poetry was clearly derivative in nature, critics thought she had promise and eventually would find her own voice.
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Desiccate
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V. Dry up.
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A tour of this smokehouse will give you an idea of how the pioneers used to desiccate food in order to preserve it.
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Desultory
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Adj. Aimless; haphazard; digressing at random.
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In prison Malcom X set himself the task of reading straight through the dictionary; to him, reading was purposeful, not desultory.
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Deterrent
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N. Something that discourages; hinderance.
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Does the threat of capital punishment serve as a deterrent to potential killers? also Adj.
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Diatribe
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N. Bitter scolding; invective.
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During the lengthy diatribe delivered by his opponent he remained calm and self-controlled.
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Dichotomy
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N. Split; branching into two parts (especially contradictory ones).
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Willie didn't know how to resolve the dichotomy between his ambition to go to college and his childhood longing to run away and join the circus.
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Diffidence
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N. Shyness.
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You must overcome your diffidence if you intend to become a salesperson.
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Diffuse
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Adj. Wordy; rambling; spread out (like a gas).
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If you pay authors by the word, you tempt them to produce diffuse manuscripts rather than brief ones. Also V diffusion, N.
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Digression
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N. Wandering away from the subject.
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Nobody minded when professor Renoir's lectures wandered away from their official theme; his digressions were always more fascinating then the topic of the day. Digress, V.
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Dirge
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N. Lament with music.
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The funeral dirge stirred us to tears.
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Disabuse
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V. Correct a false impression; undeceive.
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I will attempt to disabuse you of your impression of my client's guilt; I know he is innocent.
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Discerning
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Adj. Mentally quick and observant; having insight.
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Though no genius, the star was suffieiently discerning to distinguish her true friends from countless phonies who flattered her. Discern, V. Discernment, N.
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Discordant
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Adj. not harmonious; conflicting.
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Nothing is quite so discordant as the sound of a junior high school orchestra tuning up.
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Discredit
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V. Defame; destroy confidence in; disbelieve.
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The campaign was highly negative in tone; each candidate tried to discredit the other.
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Discrepancy
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N. Lack of consistency; difference.
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The police notive some discrepancies in his description of the crime and did not beelive him.
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Discrete
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Adj. Separate; unconnected.
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The universe is composed of discrete bodies.
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Disingenuous
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Adj. Not naive; sophisticated.
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Although he was young, his remarkc indicated that he was disingenuous.
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Disinterested
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Adj. Unprejudiced
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Given the judge's political ambitions and the lawyers' financial interest in the case, the only disinterested person in the courtroom may have been the court reporter.
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Disjointed
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Adj. Disconnected.
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His remarks were so disjointed that we could not follow his reasoning.
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Dismiss
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V. Eliminate from consideration; reject.
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Believing in John's love for her, she dismissed the notion that we hight be unfaithful. (Secondary meaning)
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Disparage
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V. belittle.
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A doting mother. Emma was more likely to praise her son's crude attempts at art than to disparage them.
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Disparate
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Adj. basically different; unrelated.
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Unfortunately Tony and Tina have disparate notions of marriage: Tony sees it as carefree extended love affair, while Tina sees it as a solemsn commitment to build a family and a home.
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Dissemble
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V. Disguise; pretend.
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Even though John tried to dissemble his motive for taking modern dance, we all knew he was there not to dance but to meet girls.
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Disseminate
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V. Distribute; spread; scatter (like seeds).
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By their use of the Internet, propagandists have been able to disseminate their pet doctrines to new audiences around the globe.
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Dissolution
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N. Disintegration; Looseness in morals.
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The profligacy and dissolution of life in Caligula's Rome appail some historians. dissolute, Adj.
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Dissonance
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N. discord; opposite of harmony.
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Composer Charles Ives often used dissonance-clashing or unresolved chords-for special effects in his musical works. dissonant, Adj.
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Distend
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V. Expand; Swell out.
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I can tell when he is under stress by the way the veins distend on his forehead.
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Distill
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V. purifyl refine; concentrate.
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A moonshiner distills mash into whiskey; an epigrammatist distills thoughts into quips.
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Diverge
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V. Vary; go in different directions from the same point.
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The spokes of the wheel diverge from the hub.
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Divest
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V. Strip; deprive.
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He was divested of his power to act and could no longer govern. Divestiture, N.
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Document
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V. provide written evidence.
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She kept all the reciepts from her business trip in order to document her expenses for the firm. Also N.
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Dogmatic
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Adj. Opinionated; Arbitrary; Doctrinal.
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We tried to discourage Doug from being so dogmatic, but never could convince him that his opinions might be wrong.
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Dormant
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Adj. Sleeping; lethargic; latent.
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At fifty her long-dormant ambition to weite flared up once more; within a year she had completed the first or her great historicals novels. Dormancy, N.
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Dupe
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N. Someone easily fooled.
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While the gullible Watson often was made a dupe by unscrupulous parties, Sherlock Holmes was far more difficult to fool.
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Ebullient
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Adj. Showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm.
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Amy's ebullient nature could not be repressed; she was was always bubbling over with excitement. Ebullience, N.
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Eclectic
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Adj, Selective; composed of elements drawn from desperate sources,
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His style of interior decoration was eclectic; bits and pieces of furnishing from widely divergent periods, strikingly juxtaposed to create a unique decor. Eclecticism, N.
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Efficacy
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N. Power to produce desired effect.
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The efficacy of this drug depends on the regularity of the dosage. Efficacious, Adj.
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Effrontery
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N. Shameless boldness.
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She had the effrontery to insult the guest.
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Elegy
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N. Poem or song expressing lamentation.
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On the death of Edward King, Milton composed the elegy "Lycidas." Elegiacal, Adj.
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Elicit
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V. Draw out by discussion.
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The detectives tried to elicit where he had hidden his loot.
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Embellish
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V. Adorn; Ornament; Enhance, as a story.
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The costume designer emellished the leading lady's ball gown with yards and yards of ribbon and lace.
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Empirical
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Adj. Based on experience.
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He distrusted hunches and intuitive flashes; he placed his reliance entirely on empirical data.
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Emulate
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V. Imitate; rival
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In a brief essay, describe a person you admire, someone whose vitues you would like to emulate.
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Endemic
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Adj. Prevail among a specific group of people or in a specific area of the country.
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This disease is endemic in this part of the world; more than 80 percent of the populatiion are at one time or another affected by it.
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Enervate
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V. weaken.
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She was slow to recover from her illness; Even a short walk to the window enervated her. Enervation, N.
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Engender
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V. Cause; produce.
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To recieve praise for real accomplishments engenders self-confidence in a child.
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Enhance
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V. Increase ; improve.
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You can enhance your chances of being admitted to the college of your choice by learning to write well; an excellent essay will enhance any application.
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Ephemeral
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Adj. Short-lived; fleeting.
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The mayfly is an ephemeral creature: its adult life lasts little more than a day.
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Equanimity
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N. Calmness of temperament; composure.
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Even the inevitable strains of caring for an ailing mother did not disturb Bea's ebuanimity.
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Equivocate
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V. Lie; Mislead; attempt to conceal the truth.
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The audience saw through his attempts to equivocate on the subject under discussion and didiculed his remarks.
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Erudite
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Adj. Learned; Scholarly.
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Though his fellow students thoguht him erudite, Paul knew he would have to spend many years in serious study before he could consider himself a scholar. Erudition, N.
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Esoteric
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Adj. Hard to understand; known only to the chosen few.
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New Yorker short stories often include esoteric allusions to obscure people and events. Esoterica, N.
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Eulogy
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N. Expression of praise, often on the occasion of someone's death.
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Instead of delivering a spoken eulogy at Genny's memorial service, Jeff sang a song he had written in her honor. Eulogize, V.
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Euphemism
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N. Mild expression in place of an unpleasant one.
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The expression "he passed away" is a euphemism for "he died."
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Exacerbate
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V. Worsen; Embitter
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The latest bombing exacerbated England's already existing bitterness against the IRA, causing the Prime Minister to break off the peace talks abruptly. Exacerbation, N.
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Exculpate
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V. Clear from Blame.
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She was exculpated of the crime when the real criminal confessed.
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Exigency
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N. Urgent situation
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In this exigency, we must look for aid from our allies. Exigent, Adj.
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Extrapolation
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N. Projection; conjecture.
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Based on their extrapolation from the results of the primaries on Super Tuesday, the networks predicted that George W. Bush would be Republican candidate for presidency. Extrapolate, V.
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Facetious
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Adj. Joking (often inappropriately); humorous.
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I'm serious about this project; I don't need any facetious, smart-alecky cracks about do-good litle rich girls.
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Facilitate
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V. Help bring about; Make less difficult.
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Rest and proper nourichment should facilitate the patient's recovery.
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Fallacious
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Adj. false; misleading.
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Paradoxically, fallacious reasoning does not always yield erroneous results: even though your logic may be faulty, the answer you get may be correct. Fallacy, N.
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Fatuous
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Adj. foolish; inane.
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She is far too intelligent to utter such fatuous remarks.
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Fawning
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Adj. courting favor by cringing and flattering.
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She was constantly surronded by a group of fawning admirers who hoped to win some favor. Fawn, V.
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Felicitous
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Adj. Apt; Suitably expressed; well chosen.
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He was famous for his felicitous remarks and was called upon to derve as master-of-ceremonies at many a banquet.
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Fervor
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N. glowing ardor; intensity of feeling.
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At the protest rally, the students cheered the strikers and booeed the dean with equal fervor.
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Flag
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V. droop; grow feeble.
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When the opposing hockey team scored its third goal only minutes into the first period, the home team's spirits flagged. Flagging, Adj.
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Fledgling
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Adj. Inexperienced.
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While it is necessary to provide these fledgling poets with an opportunity to present their work, it is not essential that we admire everything they write. Also N.
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Flout
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V. reject; mock.
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The headstrong youth flouted all authority; he refused to be curbed.
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Foment
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V. Stir up; instigate.
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Cher's archenemy Heather spread some nasty rumors that fomented trouble in the club. Do you think Cher's foe meant to foment such discord?
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Forstall
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V. prevent by taking action in advance.
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By setting up a prenuptial agrement, the prospective bride and groom hoped to forestall any potential arguments about money in the event of a divorce.
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Frugality
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N. Thrift; economy.
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In these economically diffucult days businesses must practice frugality or risk bankruptcy. Frugal, Adj.
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Futile
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Adj. Useless; hopeless; ineffectual.
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It is futile for me to try to get any work done around here while the telephone is ringing every 30 seconds. Futility, N.
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Gainsay
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V. Deny.
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She was too honest to gainsay the truth or the report.
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Garrulous
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Adj. Loquacious; wordy; talkative.
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My Uncle Henry can out-talk any other three people I know. He is the most garrulous person in Cayuga County. Gaggulity, N.
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Goad
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V. Urge on
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She was goaded by her freinds until she yielded to their wishes. Also N.
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Gouge
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V. Overcharge.
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During the World Series, ticket scalpers tried to gouge the pubilc, asking astronomical prices even for bleacher seats.
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Grandiloquent
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Adj. Pompous; bombastic; using high-sounding language.
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The politician could never speak simply; she was always grandiloquent.
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Gregarious
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Adj. Sociable.
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Typically, party-throwers are gregarious; hermits are not.
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Guileless
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Adj. without deceit.
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He is naive, simple, and guileless; he cannot be guilty of fraud.
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Gullible
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Adj. easily deceived.
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Gullible people have only themselves to blame if they fall for con artists repeateadly. As the saying goes, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."
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Harangue
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N. Long, passionate, and vehement speech.
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In her lengthy harangue, the principal berated the offenders. Also V.
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Homogeneous
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Adj. of the same kind.
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Because the student body at Elite Prep was so homogeneous, Sara and James decided to send their daughter to a school that offered greater cultural diversity. Homogeneity, N.
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Hyperbole
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N. Exaggeration; Overstatement.
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As far as i'm concerened, Apple's claims about the new computer are pure hyperbole: machine is that good! hyperbolic, Adj.
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Iconoclastic
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Adj. Attacking cherished traditions.
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Deeply iconoclastic, jean Genet deliberately set out to shock conventional theater goers with his radical palys. iconoclasm, N.
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Idolatry
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N. Worship of idols; excessive admiration
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Such idolatry of singers of country music is typical of the excessive enthusiasm of youth.
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Immutable
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Adj. unchnageable.
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All things change over timel nothing is immutable.
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Impair
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V. injure; hurt.
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Drinking alcohol can impair your ability to drive safetly;
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Impassive
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Adj. without feeling; imperturable; stoical.
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Refusing to let the enemy see how deeply shaken he was by his capture, the prisoner kept his face impassive.
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impede
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V. hinder; block.
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The special prosecutor determined that the attorney general, though inept, had not intentionally set out to impede the progress of the investigation.
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Impermeable
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Adj. Imprevious; not permitting passage through its substance.
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This new material is impermeable to liquids.
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Imperturbable
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Adj. Calm; placid.
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Wellington remained imperturable and in full command of the situation in spite of the hysteria and panic all around him. Imperturability, N.
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Imprevious
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Adj. Impenetrable; incapable of being damaged or distressed.
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The carpet salesman told Simone that his most expensive brand of floor covering was warranted to be imprevious to ordinary wear and tear.
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Implacable
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Adj. Incapable of being pacified.
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Madame Defarge was the implacable enemy of the Evremonde family.
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Implict
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Adj. Understood but not stated.
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Jack never told Jill he adored her; he believed his love was implicit in his deeds.
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Implode
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V. Burst inward.
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If you break a vacuum tube, the glass tube implodes. Implosion, N.
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Inadvertently
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Adv. unintentionally; by oversight; carelessly.
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Judy's great fear was that she might inadvertently omit a question n the exam and mismark her whole answer sheet.
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Inchoate
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Adj. recently begun; redimentary; elementray.
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Before the creation, the world was an inchoate mass.
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Incongruity
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N. Lack of harmony; absurdity.
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The incongruity of his wearing sneakers with formal atire amused the observers. Incoggruous, Adj.
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Inconsequential
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Adj. Insignificant; unimportant.
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Brushing off Ali's apologies for having broken the wine glass, Tamara said, "Dont worry about it; it's inconsequential."
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Incorporate
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V. Introduce something into a larger whole; combine; unite.
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Breaking with precedent, President Truman ordered the military to incorporate blacks into every branch of the armed forces. Also Adj.
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Indeterminate
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Adj. uncertain; not clearly fixed; indefinite.
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That interest rates shall rise appears cretain; when they will do so, however, remains indeterminate.
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Indigence
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N. poverty.
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Neither the economists nor the political scientists have found a way to wipe out the inequities of wealth and eliminate indigence from our society. Indigent, Adj, N.
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Indolent
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Adj. Lazy.
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Couch potatoes lead an indolent life lying back in their Lazyboy recliners watching TV. Indolence, N.
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Inert
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Adj. inactive; lacking power to move.
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"Get up, you lazybones," Tina cried to Tony, who lay in bed inert. Inertia, N.
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Ingenuous
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Adj. naive and trusting; young; unsophisticated.
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The woodsman did not realize how ingenuous Little Red Riding hood was until he heard that she has gone off for a walk in the woods with the Big Bad Wolf. Ingenue, N.
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Inherent
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Adj. Firmly established by nature or habit.
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Katya's inherent love of justice caused her to champion anyone she considered to be reated unfairly by society.
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Innocuous
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Adj. harmless.
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Adn occasional glass of wine with dinner is relatively innocuous and should have no ill effect on most people.
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Insensible
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Adj. Unconscious; unresponsive.
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Sherry and I are very different; at times when I would be covered with embarrassment, she seems insensible to shame.
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Insinuate
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V. Hint; imply; creep in.
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When you said I looked robust, did you mean to insinuate that i'm getting fat?
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Insipid
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Adj. Lacking in flavor; dull.
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Flat prose and flat ginger ale are equally insipid: both lack sparkle.
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Insularity
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N. Narrow-mindedness; Isolation.
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The insularity of the islanders manifested itself in their suspicion of anything foreign. insular, Adj.
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Intractable
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Adj. Unruly; stubborn; unyielding.
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Charlie Brown's friend Pigpen was intractable; he absolutely refused to take a bath.
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Intransigence
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N. Refusal of any compromise; stubbornness.
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The negotiating team had not expected such intransigence from the striking workers, whoe rejected any hint of a compromise. Intransigent, Adj.
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Inundate
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V. Overwhelm; flood; submerge.
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This semester I am inundated with work: you should see the piles of paperwork flooding my desk. Until the great dam was built, the waters of the Nile used to inundate the river vally every year.
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Inured
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Adj. Accustomed; hardended.
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She became inured to the Alaskan cold.
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Invective
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N. abuse.
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He had expected criticism but not the invective that greeted his proposal.
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Irascible
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Adj. Irritable; easily angered.
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Miss Minchin's irascible temper intimidated the younger schoolgirls, who feared she'd burst into a rage at any moment.
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Irresolute
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Adj. uncertain how to act; weak.
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Once you have made your decision, don't waiver; a leader should never appear irresolute.
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Itinerary
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N. Plan of a trip.
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Disliking sudden changes in plans when she traveled aboard Ethel refused to make any alterations in her itinerary.
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