Page 304 - WEBSTER Essential vocabulary

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I: GRE Words
imperious (im PIR ee uhs) adj. overbearing; domineering; having the qualities
of an emperor
• Napoleon was short but had an imperious aura about him.
• Often, in times of war, a general needs to be imperious.
• Although General George Patton was imperious, General Omar Bradley was
anything but.
[-ly adv., -ness n.] [Syn. masterful]
imperturbable (IM poer TOERB i bl) adj. that cannot be disturbed or excited
• Alice listened to all stories with an imperturbable calmness.
• Kevin is very excitable and could never be confused with his imperturbable
brother, Robert.
[imperturbably adv.] [Syn. impassive]
impinge (im PINJ) vt. 1. to encroach or make inroads (on the rights or property
of others); 2. to touch on or have an effect on (someone or something)
• Mary’s oak tree has begun to impinge on her neighbors’ property and is
threatening their roof.
• It is not a good idea for a lawyer to make a joke in a courtroom because it
impinges on the province of the judge.
[-d, impinging] [Syn. encroach]
implacable (im PLAK i bl) adj. that cannot be appeased or pacified
• The widow of the soldier was implacable with grief.
• When Vic’s car broke down 10 miles after he had left the repair shop, his
anger was implacable.
[implacably adv.] [Syn. inflexible]
implausible (im PLAWZ i bl) adj. seeming unlikely to be true; not believable
• The excuse, “The dog ate my homework,” is at best implausible.
• Because Lyle’s fingerprints at the scene of the crime were unmistakable, the
police felt his alibi was implausible.
[implausibly adv.] [Syn. unlikely]
implosion (im PLOH zhin) n. a bursting inward; collapsing inward
• An old-fashioned television picture tube contains a high degree of vacuum,
or absence of air and pressure, so when it breaks, there is an implosion.
• You might have seen a film of a building being skillfully destroyed by
implosion so that it collapses in on itself.
inadvertent (in ad VER tint) adj. 1. unattentive; heedless; 2. accidental;
unintentional
• Cathy’s crashing her car into the wall was inadvertent.
• Sam is often troubled by an inadvertent urge to scratch his nose.
[-ly adv.] [Syn. unintentional]