Page 144 - WEBSTER Essential vocabulary

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I: SAT Words
indomitable (in DAHM it i bil) adj. not easily discouraged or subdued; unbeat-
able; not conquerable
• Jim’s indomitable spirit kept him in the race against all odds.
• Nancy’s determination to reach her goal was indomitable.
[indomitably adv.]
ineffable (in EF i bil) adj. 1. overwhelming; too great to be described in words;
2. too awesome or sacred to be spoken
• The orchid’s ineffable beauty defied Sue’s ability to describe it.
• The parishioner could not bring himself to speak the ineffable name of the
Lord.
[ineffably adv.]
inefficacious (in EF i KAY shuhs) adj. unable to bring about the desired result;
not efficacious
• The special vitamins given to the horse to make it run faster proved to be
inefficacious.
• It was obvious that the lawn treatment had been inefficacious when the
new crop of dandelions appeared.
[-ly adv.]
inefficient (IN if ISH int) adj. failing to give the desired result with a minimum
use of energy, time, etc.; not suited to perform the desired task; incapable
• The engine was inefficient because it used a lot of fuel to accomplish the job.
• A fork, while excellent for eating steak, is quite inefficient when it comes to
eating soup.
[-ly adv., inefficiency n.]
inexorable (in EGZ oer IB il) adj. 1. unmovable by persuasion, argument, or
entreaty; unrelenting; 2. unchangeable; unstoppable
• Steven was inexorable in his support for universal medical coverage, despite
all who argued against it.
• Undeterred by dire weather reports and unrelenting cold, Amundsen pur-
sued his inexorable trek to the South Pole.
[inexorably adv.]
infer (in FOER) vt. 1. to decide or conclude something from something that is
known or assumed; to derive by reasoning; 2. to indicate indirectly; to lead to a
conclusion; indicate
• From your knowledge of human behavior and that of Fred in particular, you
should be able to infer whether he deliberately misled Wilma and Pebbles.
• The fact that Barney had both motive and opportunity might lead one to
infer that he had something to do with the doughnut’s disappearance.
[-red*, -ring, -ence n.] [Syn. deduce, conclude]
infinite (IN fin it) adj. 1. lacking in boundaries or limits; without beginning or
end; 2. very great; vast; immense
• The realm of natural numbers is infinite, with neither beginning nor end.
• Do you think people are destined to explore the infinite vastness of inter-
galactic space?
[-ly adj.] [Syn. immense, endless]