blue book #17 Flashcards
idyllic
charmingly simple or rustic:
his idyllic life in Tahiti.
if
even though:
an enthusiastic if small audience.
ignoble
1.
of low character or aims; mean; base:
his ignoble purposes.
2.
of low grade or quality; inferior.
3.
not noble; of humble descent or rank.
ignominious
1.
marked by or attended with disgrace and dishonor; discreditable; humiliating:
an ignominious retreat.
2.
bearing or deserving disgrace; contemptible.
ilk
family, class, or kind:
he and all his ilk.
ill-conceived
badly conceived or planned:
an ill-conceived project.
illegible
impossible or hard to read or decipher because of poor handwriting, faded print, etc.:
This letter is completely illegible.
illicit
1.
not legally permitted or authorized; unlicensed; unlawful.
2.
disapproved of or not permitted for moral or ethical reasons.
illimitable
not limitable; limitless; boundless.
illuminate
1.
to supply or brighten with light; light up.
2.
to make lucid or clear; throw light on a subject.
3.
to decorate with lights, as in celebration.
4.
to enlighten, as with knowledge.
5.
to make resplendent or illustrious:
A smile illuminated her face.
6. to decorate (a manuscript, book, etc.) with colors and gold or silver, as was often done in the Middle Ages.
illusory
1.
deceptive; misleading; producing a false or misleading impression of reality.
2.
of the nature of an illusion; unreal.
illustrious
1.
highly distinguished; renowned; famous:
an illustrious leader.
2.
glorious, as deeds or works:
many illustrious achievements.
imbroglio
1.
a misunderstanding, disagreement, etc., of a complicated or bitter nature, as between persons or nations.
2.
an intricate and perplexing state of affairs; a complicated or difficult situation.
3.
a confused heap.
imbue
1.
to impregnate or inspire, as with feelings, opinions, or beliefs:
The new political leader was imbued with the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.
The use of reverberating metallic sound effects to imbue every other moment with sinister portent gets tedious after a while.
2.
to saturate or impregnate with moisture, color, etc.
immaculate
1.
free from spot or stain; spotlessly clean:
immaculate linen.
2.
free from moral blemish or impurity; pure; undefiled.
3.
free from fault or flaw; free from errors:
an immaculate text.
immaterial
1.
inconsequential; unimportant:
It was easy to tell the presidential candidate thought that debates, at this stage, were immaterial.
2.
not pertinent; irrelevant.
3.
not material; incorporeal; spiritual.
immerse
1.
to plunge into or place under a liquid; dip; sink.
2.
to involve deeply; absorb:
She is totally immersed in her law practice.
3.
to embed; bury.
imminent
1.
likely to occur at any moment; impending:
Her death is imminent.
2.
projecting or leaning forward; overhanging.
immunity
1.
the state of being immune from or insusceptible to a particular disease or the like.
2.
the condition that permits either natural or acquired resistance to disease.
3.
exemption from obligation, service, duty, or liability to taxation, jurisdiction, etc.:
The ambassador claimed diplomatic immunity when they arrested him for reckless driving.
4.
special privilege.
immutable
unchangeable; changeless:
The outraged grammar stickler mistakes a convention for an immutable and fundamental law of the universe.
impair
1.
to make or cause to become worse; diminish in ability, value, excellence, etc.; weaken or damage:
to impair one’s health; to impair negotiations:
The liver is one of the few human organs that regenerates, so having pieces removed usually does not impair function.
2.
to grow or become worse; lessen.
impartial
not biased; fair; just:
an impartial judge.
impasse
1.
a position or situation from which there is no escape; deadlock; standstill:
The impasse between Israel and the Palestinians shows little sign of easing.
2.
a road or way that has no outlet; cul-de-sac.
impassioned
filled with intense feeling or passion; passionate; ardent:
His ideas for spring were all familiar tropes – so much so that the collection seemed perfunctory rather than impassioned.
impassive
1.
without emotion; apathetic; unmoved:
The high schoolers in the room are impassive, but the fathers give thoughtful frown-nods.
2.
calm; serene.
3.
unconscious; insensible.
4.
not subject to suffering.
impeach
1.
to accuse a public official before an appropriate tribunal of misconduct in office.
2.
to challenge the credibility of:
to impeach a witness.
3.
to bring an accusation against.
4.
to call in question; cast an imputation upon:
to impeach a person’s motives.
impeccable
1.
faultless; flawless; irreproachable:
impeccable manners; impeccable taste.
2.
not liable to sin; incapable of sin.
impediment
1.
obstruction; hindrance; obstacle.
2.
any physical defect that impedes normal or easy speech; a speech disorder.
3.
a bar, usually of blood or affinity, to marriage:
a diriment impediment.
impel
1.
to drive or urge forward; press on; incite or constrain to action:
These all-too-possible nightmare scenarios should impel the United States to focus on the current state of Pakistan.
2.
to drive or cause to move onward; propel; impart motion to.
imperative
1.
absolutely necessary or required; unavoidable:
It is imperative that we leave.
2.
of the nature of or expressing a command; commanding.
imperious
1.
domineering in a haughty manner; arrogant; dictatorial; overbearing:
an imperious manner; an imperious person.
2.
urgent; imperative:
imperious need.
impertinent
1.
intrusive or presumptuous, as persons or their actions; insolently rude; uncivil:
a brash, impertinent youth.
2.
not pertinent or relevant; irrelevant:
an impertinent detail.
imperturbable
incapable of being upset or agitated; not easily excited; calm:
imperturbable composure.
impervious
1.
not permitting penetration or passage; impenetrable:
The coat is impervious to rain.
2.
incapable of being injured or impaired:
impervious to wear and tear.
3.
incapable of being influenced, persuaded, or affected:
impervious to reason; impervious to another’s suffering.
