Page 307 - WEBSTER Essential vocabulary

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Essential Vocabulary
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infirm (in FOERM) adj. 1. not strong physically; weak; 2. not strong in one’s
position; vacillating; shaky
• Certain physically fit senior citizens resent the fact that the elderly and the
infirm are often referred to in the same sentence.
• Some congresspersons are infirm in their voting records on civil rights.
[-ly adv.] [Syn. weak]
inimitable (in IM it uh bl) adj. incapable of being imitated; too good to be
copied
• Certain products, which we will not name here, have proven to be
inimitable, although many companies have tried.
• The late Jack Benny was a comedian who influenced many of the comics
of today, but as a total package, he remains inimitable.
[inimitably adv.] [Syn. unequaled]
insectivore (in SEKT iv AWR) n. any of a number of plants or animals (such as
shrews, moles, aardvarks, Venus flytraps, and so on) that feed primarily on insects
• It is believed that the human appendix is a vestige left over from an earlier
time when humans were insectivores.
• One of the best controllers of insect populations is an insectivore, which has
taken an unfair beating in literature, the vampire bat.
insensible (in SEN si bl) adj. 1. lacking in sensation or feeling; unconscious;
numb; 2. not recognizing or realizing; unaware
• Perry’s five minutes in the freezing water rendered him insensible to the
temperature of the air.
• Congresswoman Lorraine’s self-centeredness caused her to be insensible to
the wishes of her constituents.
[insensibly adv.]
insincerity (IN sin SER it ee) n. the quality of being hypocritical; not to be
trusted; not meaning what one says
• Howard’s insincerity became evident when Diane accidentally scratched the
diamond he had given her with her car key.
• When the spider invited the fly to come in and join him for dinner, very
few knowledgeable insects would have doubted its insincerity.
insinuate (in SIN yoo ayt) vt. 1. to gradually and artfully work one’s way into;
2. to suggest or imply; to hint
• Joanne wanted the part in the play so much that she continuously insinu-
ated her way into the tryouts until she managed to wangle the role.
• Tom’s appearing on the platform at the rally for the senator insinuates his
support for her positions.
[-d, insinuating] [Syn. imply, suggest]