#48 impervious ~ inaugurate

Question 1

impervious

/ɪmˈpɜrviəs/

Answer 1

adj. not allowing anything to pass through; impenetrable
- A raincoat, if it is any good, is impervious to water. It is made of an impervious material.
- David was impervious to criticism - he did what he wanted to do no matter what anyone said.

Question 2

impetuous

/ɪmˈpɛtʃuəs/

Answer 2

adj. impulsive; extremely impatient
- Impetuous Dick always seemed to be running off to buy a new car, even if he had just bought one the month before.
- Samantha was so impetuous that she never took more than a few seconds to make up her mind.

Question 3

implement

/ ˈɪmpləˌmɛnt, -mənt/

Answer 3

v. to carry out
- Leo developed a plan for shortening the grass in his yard, but he was unable to implement it because he didn’t have a lawn mower.
- The government was better at creating new laws than it was at implementing them.

Question 4

impotent

/ˈɪmpətənt/

Answer 4

adj. powerless; helpless; unable to perform
Impotent means not potent - not powerful
- Joe and Olga made a few impotent efforts to turn aside the steamroller, but it squished their vegetable garden anyway.
- We felt impotent in the face of their overpowering opposition to our plan.

Question 5

omnipotent

/ɒmˈnɪpətənt/

Answer 5

adj. all powerful

- After winning a dozen games in a row, the football team began to feel omnipotent.

Question 6

impugn

/ɪmˈpyun/

Answer 6

v. to attack, esp. to attack the truth or integrity of sth.
- The critic impugned the originality of Jacob’s novel, claiming that long stretches of it had been lifted from the work of someone else.
- Fred said I was impugning his honesty when I called him a dirty liar, but I told him he had no honesty to impugn. This just seemed to make him angrier.

Question 7

inane

/ɪˈneɪn/

Answer 7

adj. silly; senseless
- Their plan to make an indoor swimming pool by flooding their basement was inane.
- Mel made a few inane comments about the importance of chewing only on the left side of one’s mouth, and then he [passed out beneath the table.
Sth. that is inane is an inanity.

Question 8

inaugurate

/ɪnˈɔgyəˌreɪt, -gə-/

Answer 8

v. to begin officially; to induct formally into office
- The mayor inaugurated the new no-smoking policy and then celebrated by lighting up a big cigar.
- The team’s loss inaugurated an era of defeat that lasted for several years.
To inaugurate a U.S. president is to make him take the oath of office and then give him the keys to the White House.