Word List 19 Flashcards
hypotenuse
the side of a right-angled triangle that is opposite of the right angle
the length of a hypotenuse
hysteria
a psychoneurosis marked by emotional excitability and disturbances of the psychic, sensory, vasomotor, and visceral functions
behavior exhibiting overwhelming or unmanageable gear or emotional excess
e.g. Wartime hysteria led to many unfair accusation of treachery.
iconoclast
a person who destroys religious images or opposes their veneration
a person who attacks settled beliefs or institutions
e.g. Notorious as an iconoclast, that music critic isn’t afraid to go after sacred cows.
idiom
the language peculiar to a people or to a district, community, or class; dialect
an expression in the usage of a language that is peculiar to itself
a style or form of artistic expression that is characteristic; broadly, manner, style
e.g. the modern jazz idiom
a new culinary idiom
idle
lacking worth or basis; vain
not occupied or employed
shiftless, lazy; having no evident lawful means of support
to spend time in idleness; to move idly
to make idle
e.g. There has been a lot of idle speculation about what might happen, but no one really knows.
idle pleasure/workers/farmland
She left the engine idling for a few seconds before she turned it off.
workers idled by a strike
idolater
a worshiper of idols
a person that admires intensely and often blindly one that is not usually a subject of worship
idyllic
pleasing or picturesque in natural simplicity
of, relating to, or being an idyll
e.g. an idyllic retreat in the countryside
igneous
of, relating to, or resembling fire; fiery
relating to, resulting from, or suggestive of the intrusion or extrusion of magma or volcanic activity
formed by solidification of magma
e.g. igneous rocks
ignoble
of low birth or common origin; plebeian
characterized by baseness, lowness, or meanness
e.g. an ignoble child who would one day grow up to a prince among playwrights
Such an ignoble act is completely unworthy of a military officer.
ignominious
marked with or characterized by disgrace or shame; dishonorable
deserving or shame or infamy; despicable
humiliating, degrading
e.g. Some of his friends considered the job of janitor to be ignominious fate for the laid-off executive.
The prison guards degraded themselves with their inhumane, ignominious treatment of the prisoners.
ignominy
deep personal humiliation and disgrace
disgraceful or dishonorable conduct, quality, or action
e.g. She had to endure the ignominy of being forced to resign.
illegitimate
not recognized as lawful offspring
not rightly deduced or inferred; illogical
departing from the regular; erratic
not sanctioned by law; illegal
e.g. They were fired from their jobs for illegitimate reasons.
illicit
not permitted; unlawful
e.g. illicit copes of the software
an illicit affair
illiterate
having little or no education; unable to read or write
showing or marked by a lack of familiarity with language and literature
showing or marked by a lack of acquaintance with the fundamentals of a particular field of knowledge
e.g. She is politically illiterate and has never voted in an election.
an illiterate magazine
illuminati
(cap.) any of various groups claiming special religious enlightenment
persons who are or who claim to be unusually enlightened
elite
e.g. a book launching party to which only New York’s cultural illuminati were invited
members of the academic illuminati
imbibe
to receive into the mind and retain
to assimilate or take into solution
drink; to take in or up
e.g. imbibe moral principles
imbibe vast quantities of coffee
imbroglio
a confused mess
an intricate or complicated situation; an acutely painful or embarrassing misunderstanding
embroilment; scandal
e.g. a celebrated imbroglio involving some big names in the New York literary scene
imbue
to permeate or influence as if by dyeing
to provide with something freely or naturally; endow
e.g. A feeling of optimism imbues her works.
Her training at the school for the deaf imbues her with a sense of purpose that she had never known before.
immaculate
having no stain or blemish; pure
containing no flaw or error
e.g. an immaculate record of service
macula
spot, blotch; macule
an anatomical structure having the form of a spot differentiated from surrounding tissues; especially, macula lutea
immanent
indwelling, inherent
being within the limits of possible experience or knowledge
e.g. Beauty is not something imposed but something immanent.
A question as to whether altruism is immanent in all individuals or is instead acquired from without.
immemorial
extending or existing since beyond the reach of memory, record, or tradition
e.g. the immemorial roots of human spirituality
stories passed down from time immemorial
immerse
to plunge into something that surrounds or covers; especially, to plunge or dip into a fluid
engross, absorb
e.g. She had immersed herself in writing short stories.
imminent
ready to take place; especially, hanging threateningly over one’s head
e.g. in imminent danger of being run over
There patients are facing imminent death.
immolate
to offer in sacrifice; especially, to kill as a sacrificed victim
to kill or destroy often by fire
e.g. a man who immolated himself as an act of protest
a ceremony in which they immolated their cherished possessions so that the gods would send rain
immure
to enclose within or as if within walls; imprison
to build into a wall; especially, to entomb in a wall
e.g. Scientists at the research station in Alaska are immured by the frozen wastelands that surround them.
Immured by a controlling, possessive mother, the young woman had no outside social life.
demure
reserved, modest
affectedly modest, reserved, or serious; coy
e.g. the demure charm of the cottage
imp
a small demon; fiend
a mischievous child; urchin
e.g. a story about a crumbling mansion infested with a brood of imps
demur
to disagree politely with another person’s statement or suggestion
to politely refuse to accept a request or suggestion (often used with to or at)
e.g. She suggested that he would win easily, but he demurred, saying he expected the election to be close.
Don’t hesitate to demur to the idea if you have any qualms.
exception
the act of excepting; exclusion
one that is excepted; especially, a case to which a rule does not apply
question, objection
e.g. There will be no exceptions to this rule.
I take strong exception to your assessment of his singing ability.
impair
to damage or make worse by or as if by diminishing in some material respect
e.g. His health was impaired by overwork.
impale
to pierce with or as if with something pointed; especially, to torture or kill by fixing on a sharp stake
to fix in an inescapable or helpless position
impalpable
incapable of being felt by touch; intangible
so finely divided that no grains or grit can be felt
not readily discerned by the wind
e,g. The rich colors used in the wall coverings and furniture give the room an impalpable warmth.
An difference between the two sounding systems is impalpable to all but the most discerning audiophiles.
palpitate
to beat rapidly and strongly; throb
e.g. My heart began to palpitate when I was announced as the winner.
impart
to give, convey, or grant fro or as if from a store
to communicate the knowledge of; disclose
e.g. Her presence imparted a sense of importance to the meeting.
impart his scheme to no one
impasse
a predicament affording no obvious escape
deadlock
an impassable road or way; cul-de-sac
e.g. An arbitrator was called in to break the impasse.
She had reached an impasse in her career.
impassioned
filled with passion or zeal; showing great warmth or intensity of feeling
e.g. an impassioned plea for justice
impassive
unsusceptible to physical feeling; insensible
unsusceptible to or destitute of emotion; apathetic
giving no sign of feeling or emotion; expressionless
e.g. Her face remained impassive throughout the trial.
overwrought
extremely excited; agitated
elaborated to excess; overdone
e.g. The witness became overwrought as she described the crime.
impeach
to bring an accusation against
to charge with a crime or misdemeanor
to remove from office especially for misconduct
to cast doubt on; especially, to challenge the credibility or validity of
e.g. impeach the president
The defense lawyers tried to impeach the witness’s testimony by forcing him to admit that he had changed his story.
impeccable
not capable of sinning or liable to sin
free from fault or blame; flawless
e.g. spoke impeccable French
The etiquette was celebrated for her absolutely impeccable manners.
peccadillo
a slight offense
impecunious
having very little or no money usually habitually; penniless
e.g. They were so impecunious that they couldn’t afford to give one another even token Christmas gifts.
peculate
embezzle
pecuniary
consisting of or measured in money
of or relating to money
e.g. That makes good pecuniary sense.
The judge recused himself from the case because he had a pecuniary interest in the company that was being sued.
impediment
- impede
e. g. It is tough going for the burros on the canyon trail, even without the added impediment of heavy loads.
impel
to urge or drive forward or on by or as if by the exertion of strong moral pressure; force
to impart motion to; propel
e.g. She felt impelled to give a speech after the performance.
impend
to hover threatening; menace
to be about to occur
e.g. For confirmed pessimists, some disaster always seems to be impending.
