The Oxford Thesaurus - An A-Z Dictionary Of Synonyms

rudeness, effrontery, Colloq cheek, brass, brassiness, nerve, gall, Slang chutzpah: Why, the impertinence of that waitress to call you by your Christian name!

impertinent

adj. presumptuous, insolent, bold, brazen, impudent, brash, saucy, pert, uncivil, forward, impolite, discourteous, disrespectful, audacious, rude, Colloq cheeky, fresh, brassy, US nervy: That impertinent little upstart had the nerve to ask the lady's age!

impetuous adj. spontaneous, unpremeditated, impulsive, unplanned, hasty, abrupt, precipitate, quick, unthinking, unreasoned, offhand,

rash, reckless, spur-of-the-moment, unreflective, headlong: Don't be impetuous and accept the first offer that comes along.

impetus n. drive, stimulus, push, impulse, goad, thrust, energy, momentum, stimulation, incentive, motivation, encouragement, inspiration: Roger's innovative ideas provided the impetus to develop new products.

impious adj. irreligious, irreverent, ungodly, sacrilegious, blasphemous, profane, unholy, wicked, sinful, iniquitous: The priest said that he would be punished for his impious remarks.

implacable

adj. unappeasable, unmollifiable, unpacifiable, unforgiving, intractable, uncompromising, inflexible, inexorable, unyielding, unrelenting, ruthless, cruel, pitiless, merciless, hard, rigid, unsympathetic, uncompassionate: Ever since that incident at school he has been my implacable enemy.

implant v. 1 introduce, instil, insinuate, inject; indoctrinate, inculcate, teach, impress, imprint: They spent months implanting that notion in his mind. 2 graft, root, embed, inlay: You must implant the scion nearer the main stem.

--n. 3 graft, scion, ingraft; insert: Are they really experimenting with brain implants to improve the memory?

implausible

adj. improbable, unlikely, doubtful, dubious, questionable, unbelievable, incredible, far-fetched, unconvincing, debatable,

unreasonable: He told an implausible tale of having been raised by apes.

implement n. 1 utensil, tool, instrument, apparatus, device, appliance, contrivance, mechanism, (piece of) equipment, Colloq gadget, contraption: You need the proper implement for measuring inside diameters.

--v. 2 carry out, execute, accomplish, perform, achieve, (put into) effect, bring about, cause, fulfil, realize: You will need our help to implement the plan.

implicate v. 1 involve, include, associate, embroil, ensnare, entrap, enmesh, entangle: Don't implicate me in your hare-brained schemes! 2 incriminate, inculpate, connect, involve, associate, suspect, concern: Wasn't he implicated in that fraud case last year?

implication

n. 1 involvement, connection, inclusion, association, entanglement: My implication in that affair was minimal. 2 suggestion, hint, insinuation, innuendo, intimation: I resent the implication that I had anything to do with the murder. 3 significance, purport, drift, meaning, denotation, conclusion, inference, import, connotation, sense, burden, substance, essence, pith: The implication of the article is that the government knew about the illegal exports all along.

implicit adj. 1 implied, indirect, inferable, understood, unspoken, undeclared, tacit, inherent, inferential, latent: Certain provisions are implicit in every legal contract and need not be expressed. 2 absolute, unquestioning, unquestioned, unqualified, total, sheer, complete, unmitigated, unalloyed, undiluted, unlimited, unconditional, unreserved, utter, full, wholehearted: I have implicit faith in Nicole's judgement.

imply v. 1 suggest, hint (at), intimate, insinuate: Are you implying that I don't know what I'm talking about? 2 connote, allude to, refer to, advert to, signify, signal, betoken, denote, indicate, mean, express; involve, include, evidence, assume, presume, entail: Silence sometimes implies consent. Discovery of the tools implies a more advanced culture.

others. 2 interrupt, interfere, intrude, interpose, insinuate:

I hope I am not imposing? 3 levy, place, put, exact: A tax has been imposed on entertainment. 4 impose on or upon. a saddle, burden: He imposes on everyone with his demands for charity. b exploit, take advantage (of), misuse: I hope I am not imposing on your good will in what I ask.

imposing adj. grand, magnificent, impressive, stately, august, majestic, effective, commanding: In his dress uniform, the general was an imposing presence at the reception.

imposition

n. 1 inflicting, infliction; applying, application, enforcing, enforcement, levy, levying, promulgating, promulgation, introducing, introduction, placing, placement, laying on: People resent the imposition of a curfew. 2 burden, onus, weight; intrusion, misuse: A flat-rate tax is a terrible imposition on the poor. Walking the dog is an imposition on my time.

impossible

adj. 1 hopeless, impracticable, inconceivable, unimaginable, unthinkable, unattainable, unsuitable, out of the question, unachievable, unrealizable, unworkable, unresolvable, unsolvable: Reading of the cipher is impossible without a key. 2 absurd, ludicrous, preposterous, ridiculous, illogical, unworkable, outrageous, farcical, outlandish, crazy, weird: Inventors came up with the most impossible designs for aeroplanes.

impostor n. imposter, impersonator, pretender, deceiver, cheat, fraud, swindler, trickster, confidence man, shark, charlatan,

mountebank, hypocrite, Colloq con man, phoney or US also phony, tricky Dick, flimflam man, US four-flusher: It wasn't the bank manager but an impostor.

impotence n. 1 weakness, powerlessness, helplessness, frailty, feebleness, enervation, debilitation: The doctor said that his impotence was caused by exhaustion. 2 impotency, inadequacy, inefficacy, ineffectualness, ineffectiveness, ineptness, incompetence: Georgiana was frustrated by her impotence in dealing with the situation. 3 sterility, infertility: Eating

raw eggs and oysters does not cure impotence.

impotent adj. 1 weak, powerless, helpless, frail, feeble, enervated, debilitated, infirm: When it came to political influence, I was impotent. 2 inadequate, ineffective, ineffectual, inept, incompetent: The attempted robbery was a half-hearted, impotent effort. 3 sterile, barren, infertile, infecund: They never had

any children because Dixon was impotent.

impoverished

adj. 1 destitute, poor, poverty-stricken, penurious, beggared, needy, necessitous, impecunious, in sore or bad straits, straitened, in distress, badly off, bankrupt, insolvent, ruined, Colloq (dead or flat) broke, stony-broke, bad off, pinched, up against it, on one's uppers, short, US strapped, wiped out, Slang Brit skint: A series of failed harvests left many farmers impoverished. 2 stripped, barren, desolate, wasted, empty, depleted, denuded, drained, exhausted: Two years of drought left the land impoverished.

impracticable

adj. 1 unworkable, infeasible or unfeasible, impossible, unattainable, unachievable: The new engine design proved impracticable because of its high fuel consumption. 2 unsuitable, unfit, unusable, useless, inapplicable: As we have no electricity, air conditioners are impracticable.

impractical

adj. 1 visionary, starry-eyed, unrealistic, romantic, quixotic, wild: Laura's solutions are very creative but quite impractical. 2 useless, ineffective, ineffectual, unworkable, unavailing, impracticable: The idea looked good on paper but proved impractical when we tried it.

imprecise adj. inexact, inaccurate, wrong, inexplicit, indefinite, ill-defined, indistinct, vague, hazy, cloudy, blurred, fuzzy, woolly, ambiguous: The readings are imprecise because the needle wavers so much.

impregnable

adj. invulnerable, impenetrable, inviolable, unconquerable, invincible, unbeatable, indomitable, secure, safe, mighty, well-fortified: The walls of the castle, sixteen feet thick, were impregnable.

impregnate

v. 1 fertilize, inseminate, fecundate, make pregnant: The female can be impregnated only during one ten-day interval each year. 2 imbue, suffuse, permeate, penetrate, pervade, infuse, saturate, drench, soak, steep, fill: The preservative must be allowed to impregnate the wood.

impress v. 1 affect, touch, move, reach, stir, strike, sway, influence, persuade, Colloq grab, get under one's skin: She was genuinely impressed by his sincerity. 2 print, imprint, stamp, mark, engrave, emboss: Before the bowl was placed in the kiln, the potter's seal was impressed in its underside. 3 Often, impress on or upon. stress, emphasize, urge, bring home (to): They tried to impress on him the gravity of the situation.

impression

n. 1 sensation, feeling, sense, suspicion, awareness, consciousness, idea, belief, fancy, notion: I have the impression that I have been here before. She gave me the impression that she didn't like me. 2 impact, effect, influence: Are you concerned about the impression of his speech on the crowd? 3 dent, indentation, depression, hollow, mark; stamp, impress, brand: Look here, where the chair has made an impression in the carpet. 4 printing, issue, print, copy, run: This is the third impression from the original plates. 5 impersonation, imitation; parody, satire, Colloq take-off, Brit send-up: After dinner, Gerry did his impression of Churchill.

impressionable

adj. suggestible, susceptible, persuadable or persuasible, impressible, receptive, responsive: They seek to enrol students who are at an impressionable age.

impressive

adj. evocative, moving, affecting, stimulating, exciting, stirring, powerful, provocative, arousing, awe-inspiring,

awesome, imposing, formidable, portentous, redoubtable: She has many impressive talents.

imprison v. incarcerate, confine, detain, remand, jail or Brit also gaol, lock up, intern, shut up, put behind bars, put in or throw into irons, put away, Colloq Brit send down, US send up (the

river): He was imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit.

imprisonment

n. incarceration, confinement, detention, remand, custody, Literary durance (vile): The sentence is imprisonment for not less than one year.

improbable

adj. doubtful, dubious, unlikely, questionable, unrealistic, far-fetched, remote, implausible, unthinkable, hard to believe or imagine, inconceivable, unbelievable, fanciful, incredible, ridiculous, ludicrous, absurd, crazy, mad, insane, wild, weird, peculiar, strange; impossible; Colloq fishy: It is improbable that they will marry. He gave the most improbable excuses.

improper adj. 1 wrong, mistaken, erroneous, false, incorrect, inaccurate, inexact, imprecise, amiss, faulty, untrue, irregular, abnormal: Sloppy research had led to improper conclusions. 2 unfit, unsuitable, inappropriate, inapt, inapplicable, infelicitous, incongruous, unsuited, unseemly, unbefitting, unfitting, uncalled-for, inapposite, malapropos,

out of keeping, out of place, incompatible, inopportune: Do you think it improper for shops to open on Sundays? His wedding was an improper occasion for comments about his philandering. 3 indecorous, indecent, indelicate, immodest, unseemly, untoward, unbecoming, impolite, suggestive, risqu‚, off colour, obscene, corrupt, immoral, sinful, wicked, lewd, lascivious: Do you see anything improper in sex education for children?

impropriety

n. 1 improperness, erroneousness, incorrectness, falsity, falseness, inaccuracy, inaccurateness, inexactitude, inexactness, imprecision, impreciseness, irregularity, abnormality: I fail to see the impropriety in refusing to support capital punishment. 2 unfitness, unsuitableness, inappropriateness, inaptness, inapplicability, infelicity, infelicitousness, incongruity, incongruousness, unseemliness, incompatibility, inopportuneness: The judge criticized the impropriety of allowing the child to testify. 3 indecorousness, bad or poor taste, indecency, indelicacy, immodesty, unseemliness, suggestiveness, immorality, sinfulness, wickedness, lewdness, lasciviousness: In those days, the impropriety in wearing a brief bathing costume was thought

shocking. 4 slip, blunder, mistake, error, gaffe, gaucherie,

faux pas: She admitted to many improprieties during her term of office.

improve v. 1 better, ameliorate, upgrade, uplift, amend, enhance, fix up, reform, redeem, rehabilitate, redress, repair, correct, rectify, put or set right, emend; modernize, update, refurbish, recondition, renovate, repair, overhaul, remodel: We must improve procedures for dealing with small claims. The landlord refuses to spend any money to improve the property. 2 develop, increase, advance, promote, further, benefit; look up, recover, pick up, Colloq give a new lease of or US on life, take a turn for the better, US take a new lease on life: How can I improve my chances of winning at snooker? Business has improved considerably. 3 convalesce, recuperate, recover, get better, mend, rally, (make) progress, gain (strength or ground), revive: Mrs Costello is out of intensive care and improving daily.

improvement

n. 1 betterment, amelioration; reform, rehabilitation, upgrading, enhancement, repair: The committee is working for the improvement of the neighbourhood. 2 recovery, rise, increase, gain, advance, upswing, progress; recuperation, convalescence: There was an improvement in share prices after release of the trade figures. The patient shows considerable improvement. 3 advance, change for the better: This year's crop is an improvement over last year's.

improvident

adj. 1 short-sighted, imprudent, wasteful, profligate, prodigal, spendthrift, extravagant, lavish, profuse,

happy-go-lucky, penny wise and pound foolish, uneconomic(al), thriftless: He who is improvident in his youth plans for a

short life. 2 incautious, unwary, rash, reckless, impulsive, impetuous, headlong, heedless, careless, unthinking, unthoughtful, unmindful: The club's present financial straits are the result of having an improvident treasurer.

improvise n. 1 ad lib, extemporize, Colloq play (it) by ear, fake it, wing it: I like a comedian who improvises as he goes along. 2 invent, concoct, devise, contrive, jury-rig; make do: We had to improvise a mast from parts of the boom. When you have nothing to work with, you have to improvise.

imprudent adj. indiscreet, impulsive, rash, reckless, hasty, incautious, impetuous, improvident, careless, heedless, foolhardy, irresponsible, injudicious, ill-judged, thoughtless, ill-considered, ill-advised, inadvisable, unwise, inexpedient, foolish, mad, crazy, insane, inane, silly, perverse, wrong,

wrong-headed: It would be imprudent to go out during the storm.

impudence n. impertinence, effrontery, insolence, disrespect, presumption, presumptuousness, audacity, shamelessness, pertness, sauciness, boldness, brazenness, incivility, rudeness, impoliteness, Colloq lip, gall, guff, sauce, mouth, Brit backchat, side, US back talk, Slang chutzpah: He had the impudence to suggest that I was too old for the job!

impudent adj. shameless, impertinent, insolent, disrespectful, forward, presumptuous, audacious, pert, saucy, bold, brazen, cocky, cocksure, arrogant, uncivil, ill-mannered, rude, impolite,

Colloq fresh, brassy, cheeky: Asked the simplest question, she is always ready with an impudent response.

impulsive n. impetuous, emotional, unpredictable, unpremeditated, unplanned, spur-of-the-moment, extemporaneous, unconsidered, offhand, instinctive, involuntary, spontaneous, quick, sudden, precipitate, immediate, snap, rash, headlong, rash, reckless, devil-may-care, foolhardy, madcap, wild: You may say that it was impulsive of me to give her all that money, but I love her.

impure adj. 1 dirty, soiled, unclean, sullied, tainted, polluted, defiled, foul, filthy, feculent, infected, scummy, putrid, putrescent, rotten: The water is impure and not fit to drink.

2 mixed, alloyed, contaminated, adulterated, debased, unrefined: Impure ore contains other substances which are removed during processing. 3 unclean, unhallowed, forbidden, disallowed, Judaism tref or treif or treifa: Certain foods are considered impure in some religions. 4 unchaste, immoral, sinful, wicked, evil, vile, unvirtuous, unvirginal, corrupted, defiled, debased, vitiated, degenerate, depraved, loose, wanton, lustful, promiscuous, libidinous, dissolute, licentious, obscene,

prurient, dirty, filthy, lubricious or lubricous, salacious, lascivious, lewd, lecherous: The book was condemned as 'likely to encourage impure thoughts'.

impurity n. 1 pollution, contamination, defilement, adulteration, dirtiness, uncleanness, foulness: The impurity of the water in our rivers is a cause for concern. 2 Often, impurities. dirt, contaminant, pollutant, pollution, smut, filth, foreign matter or body: This filter is guaranteed to remove impurities from the water. 3 unchastity, immorality, sinfulness, wickedness, evil, vileness, corruption, degeneration, depravity, looseness, wantonness, lust, lustfulness, promiscuity, promiscuousness, libidinousness, dissoluteness, licentiousness, obscenity, prurience, dirtiness, filthiness, lubricity, salaciousness,

lasciviousness, lewdness, lecherousness: Children ought not be exposed to the impurity encountered on everyday television.

imputation

n. charge, indictment, accusation, allegation, challenge, censure, blame, reproach, slur, aspersion, attribution, ascription, insinuation, implication, innuendo: I resent the imputation that I broke the vase on purpose.

impute v. ascribe, assign, attribute, credit, charge, put or set down to; insinuate, imply, suggest, hint at: The critic imputed meanings to the book that the author had never intended.

9.6 inability...

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inability n. incapacity, incapability, incompetence, unfitness, ineptness, ineptitude, unqualifiedness, impotence: The inability of many school-leavers to perform simple arithmetical tasks is deeply worrying.

inaccessible

adj. 1 unavailable, unobtainable, unattainable, unreachable, unapproachable: The minister has made himself inaccessible for interviews. 2 impenetrable, impassable, out-of-the-way: The tomb lies in a part of the jungle inaccessible except by air.

inaccurate

adj. wrong, incorrect, erroneous, mistaken, inexact, imprecise, faulty, flawed, imperfect, amiss, awry, false, fallacious, illogical, unsound, Colloq off the mark, off the beam, cold, Chiefly US all wet, US (way) off base Slang cock-eyed, full of