The Oxford Thesaurus - An A-Z Dictionary Of Synonyms

infirmity n. 1 weakness, feebleness, frailness, frailty, debility, decrepitude, sickliness: At 100, she finally succumbed to infirmity, and ceased going out altogether. 2 sickness, ailment, disease, malady, affliction, disorder, defect, complaint: What infirmity struck him down?

inflame v. 1 arouse, incite, touch off, ignite, enkindle, provoke, rouse, excite, impassion, foment, incense, agitate, stir (up), fire (up), heat, anger, enrage, madden, infuriate, whip or lash up, work up, rile, exasperate, stimulate, animate, move, motivate, urge, prod, goad, spur (on), rally, drive: The speakers inflamed the crowd to riot against the police. 2 aggravate, intensify, deepen, heighten, fan, exacerbate, increase, augment, fuel: She inflamed his dislike of his brother into hatred.

inflamed adj. irritated, sore, angry, chafing, chafed, red, swollen, heated, hot, fevered, feverish, infected, septic: The wound became inflamed and we had no medicine to reduce the infection.

inflammable

adj. burnable, combustible, flammable: The plastic foam formerly used to stuff furniture is highly inflammable.

inflammation

n. irritation, redness, swelling, sore, infection: The inflammation subsided as the injection took effect.

inflammatory

adj. incendiary, fiery, inflaming, explosive, rousing, provocative, rabid, rabble-rousing, passionate, fervent, fervid, frantic, frenzied, fomenting, demagogic, insurgent, riotous, mutinous, seditious, rebellious, revolutionary, traitorous, treacherous: His inflammatory speeches at the university created tension between the students and the administration.

inflate v. 1 blow up, balloon, expand, dilate, enlarge, swell, pump up, puff up or out, distend: We inflated two plastic bags to use as floats. 2 boost, increase: The price of the company's shares

was inflated by rumours of a take-over bid. 3 exaggerate, amplify, magnify, blow up: He tends to inflate to huge proportions the small contribution he made to the project.

inflated adj. 1 exaggerated, conceited, overblown, grandiose, puffed up, overstated, magnified, amplified, overdrawn, smug, egotistic, immodest, cocky, vain, self-important, Colloq Brit swelled-headed, US swell-headed: He has an inflated idea of the importance of his work. 2 grandiloquent, bombastic, orotund, high-flown, pompous, pretentious, extravagant, magniloquent: She always talks about her husband in such inflated terms.

inflexible

adj. unbending, stiff, rigid, firm, rigorous, unyielding, adamant, severe, Rhadamanthine, inelastic, hard (and fast), determined, fixed, obdurate, immovable, intractable, unvaried, unvarying, invariable, unchangeable, immutable, obstinate, stubborn, obstinate, pigheaded, mulish, dyed in the wool, headstrong, refractory, steely, stony, resolute, resolved, unadaptable, unaccommodating, uncompliant, uncompromising, unshakeable or unshakable: The committee remain inflexible about changing the rules of the club to admit women.

inflict v. impose, apply, visit, administer, levy, force on or upon; trouble, afflict: The new government is seeking ways of inflicting more taxes on us. You ought not to inflict punishment on such small children.

influence n. 1 power, pressure, weight, sway, impact, force, effect, leverage, potency; hold, control, mastery, ascendancy, Colloq pull, clout: Would you use your influence to see if you can get me a job? The boy is under the influence of his tutor. 2 connections, favour, favouritism, Colloq pull: He got his position through influence, not merit.

--v. 3 affect, move, change, modify, alter, bias, sway, persuade, induce, work on, impress (upon), play or act upon or on, incline; bring pressure to bear on or upon, move, motivate, manipulate, Brit pressurize, US pressure, Colloq pull strings or US also wires: She was able to influence the minister to drop the scheme.

influential

adj. powerful, weighty, strong, forceful, effective, effectual, efficacious, instrumental, telling, significant, persuasive, dominant, leading, guiding, authoritative, predominant,

stool-pigeon, snitch, squealer, weasel, Brit grass, Chiefly US rat, US stoolie, canary, shoo-fly: According to the informer, the secret meeting is scheduled for tonight.

infrequently

adv. rarely, seldom, sporadically, occasionally, now and then, irregularly, exceptionally: They were only infrequently seen in public in later years.

infringe v. 1 violate, contravene, break, disobey, transgress, overstep: Publication of this article has infringed her right to a fair

trial. 2 infringe on or upon. intrude on, impinge on, trespass on, encroach on, invade: Never let pleasure infringe on the domain of duty.

infringement

n. violation, breach, contravention, infraction, disobedience, infraction, non-compliance, breaking, transgression: Publication without permission constitutes infringement of copyright. The inventor sued the company for patent infringement.

infuriate v. enrage, anger, madden, incense, make (someone's) blood boil, provoke, inflame, work or stir or fire up, rile, arouse, vex,

pique, gall, annoy, irritate, bother, chafe, agitate, irk,

nettle, exasperate, raise (someone's) hackles, make (someone's) hackles rise, Brit have or get (someone's) blood up, Colloq miff, bug, peeve, get under (someone's) skin, get or Brit also

put (someone's) back up, make (someone) see red, Chiefly US get (someone's) Irish or dander up, US burn up, Slang piss (someone) off, brown (someone) off, Brit cheese (someone) off: It really infuriated him to see injustice done to anyone.

ingenious adj. clever, skilful, skilled, shrewd, cunning, crafty, canny, dexterous, adroit, acute, sharp, keen, resourceful, adept, apt, smart, gifted, bright, brilliant, talented, deft, handy,

inventive, Daedalian, creative, imaginative, original, Colloq neat, keen, US crackerjack, Slang on the ball: My friend here has come up with an ingenious solution to our problem.

ingenuity n. ingeniousness, genius, brilliance, cleverness, skill, shrewdness, cunning, craft, art, knack, flair, dexterity, dexterousness, adroitness, acuteness, sharpness, keenness,

locate in, populate, people; colonize: This bird inhabits

northern Africa. North America was inhabited by emigrants from Europe.

inhabitant

n. resident, dweller, denizen, citizen, tenant, occupant, occupier: The inhabitants of the village refused to pay taxes.

inhale v. breathe in, inspire, draw or suck in: I stepped outside and inhaled the fresh spring air.

inherent adj. intrinsic, indwelling, essential, basic, innate, connate, ingrained or engrained, native, congenital, inherited, hereditary, inborn, inbred, indigenous, immanent, built-in: It is difficult to tell which characteristics are derived and which are inherent.

inherit v. come into, fall or be or become heir to, be bequeathed, succeed to, be left, receive, acquire, Colloq come by: She inherited the property when her father died.

inheritance

n. patrimony, heritage, legacy, bequest, birthright; property: He came into his inheritance when he was 21.

inhibit v. discourage, repress, frustrate, hold back, bridle, curb, control, govern, hinder, restrain, impede, obstruct, interfere with, check, prevent, bar, stop: Her sad look inhibited my expression of delight at seeing her again.

inhibited adj. reticent, restrained, repressed, reserved, self-conscious, shy, abashed, embarrassed, Colloq uptight: He is much too inhibited to appear on television.

inhibition

n. self-consciousness, restraint, constraint, impediment, hindrance, bar, barrier, defence, defence mechanism, blockage, interference, check, curb, stricture: Geoff overcame his inhibitions and went over to talk with Anne. She had no inhibitions about singing in public.

inhospitable

adj. 1 unwelcoming, unreceptive, uninviting, unsociable,

unsocial, aloof, cold, cool, standoffish, unfriendly, inimical, antisocial, hostile, xenophobic: They were most inhospitable and refused to let me in. 2 unfavourable, forbidding, hostile, barren, desert, uninviting, uninhabitable: They were marooned on an inhospitable reef in the middle of the Pacific.

inhuman adj. 1 inhumane, merciless, cruel, pitiless, ruthless, heartless, severe, unsympathetic, unfeeling, unkind, unkindly, uncompassionate, cold-blooded, vicious, stony-hearted, hard-hearted, callous, insensitive, barbaric, barbarous, savage:

Many refugees have suffered torture and other inhuman treatment. 2 animal, bestial, brutal, brutish, fiendish, diabolical,

demonic: The spectre, assuming an inhuman form, loomed over them.

initial adj. 1 original, primary, first; prime, beginning, incipient, inaugural, opening, introductory, commencing: His initial plan, to take the children, was vetoed by his wife. It is best to

tread cautiously during the initial stages of the programme.

--v. 2 sign, approve, endorse: Please initial the clauses of the contract that we have changed.

--n. 3 monogram: The initial 'M' is on all their towels.

initiate v. 1 begin, commence, enter upon or on, originate, introduce, set in motion, start, give rise to, get under way, launch, get

or set going, trigger, set off, actuate, activate, instigate, institute, inaugurate: The programme was initiated last spring

with much fanfare. 2 admit, accept, introduce: The new members were initiated last night, with due ceremony. 3 teach,

instruct, train, tutor, drill, coach: His responsibility is to initiate recruits in the rudiments of jungle warfare.

--n. 4 novice, beginner, new boy or girl, greenhorn, rookie, neophyte, tiro or tyro, newcomer, tenderfoot, fledgling, apprentice, (raw) recruit, abecedarian, noviciate or novitiate, catechumen, Brit fresher or US only freshman, Australian new chum: In the first weeks, initiates are drilled in the basics.

initiation

n. 1 beginning, commencement, inauguration, origination, debut, introduction, inception, establishment: April the first is the

maltreatment, mistreatment, mischief, offence, outrage; mayhem: The injury was less painful to his foot than to his self-esteem.

injustice n. 1 unfairness, favouritism, discrimination, bias, inequality, partiality, partisanship, prejudice, bigotry, one-sidedness, unjustness, inequity: Class privilege has always condoned injustice. 2 wrong, injury: You do me an injustice if you

think me capable of dishonesty.

Slang Brit lag; patient, case; inhabitant, occupant, resident:

The inmates were fed on bread and water in those days. Inmates at the sanatorium are well treated.

innocent adj. 1 not guilty, guiltless, blameless, honest, (in the) clear, unimpeachable, above suspicion, above reproach, faultless: We all believe her innocent of extortion. 2 pure, sinless, virtuous, chaste, virgin(al), undefiled, untainted, unstained, unsullied, pristine, incorrupt, uncorrupted, immaculate, spotless, unblemished, unpolluted: She is still a sweet child, innocent as the day she was born. 3 harmless,

well-intentioned, safe, innocuous, inoffensive, unobjectionable: What began as an innocent stroll became a dangerous expedition. 4 na‹ve, unsuspecting, unsuspicious, unsuspecting, ingenuous, unsophisticated, trusting, trustful, gullible, credulous, green, inexperienced, childlike, unworldly, guileless, artless, simple, open, unartificial, sincere: Youngsters would arrive in London directly from the farm, entirely innocent and unaware of the perils of city life.

--n. 5 infant, babe (in arms or in the wood(s)), child;

ing‚nue, novice, beginner, newcomer, Colloq greenhorn: She's certainly no innocent when it comes to men.

innovation

n. 1 novelty; invention: The flush toilet was a 19th-century innovation. 2 modernization, alteration: Consumer product development is marked by a spirit of tireless innovation.

innuendo n. insinuation, imputation, suggestion, hint, intimation, implication, allusion, overtone; reference, animadversion: I resent your innuendo that I know more about the affair than I am letting on.

inoffensive

adj. harmless, unobjectionable, innocuous, unoffending, neutral, retiring, mild, tame: Bligh is so inoffensive, how could he possibly have upset you?

inopportune

adj. inappropriate, malapropos, ill-timed, untimely, inconvenient, unsuited, unsuitable, out of place, unpropitious, unfavourable, inauspicious, ill-chosen, unseasonable, unseemly, untoward, unfortunate: Your call came at a most inopportune moment, as we were just sitting down to dinner.

inordinate

adj. 1 immoderate, unrestrained, intemperate, excessive, disproportionate, extravagant, overdone, extreme, exorbitant, outrageous, preposterous, unconscionable, unreasonable, undue, uncalled-for, unwarranted: Her inordinate appetite for scandal has made her a successful gossip columnist. 2 irregular, disorderly, disordered, uncontrolled, unlimited, unregulated, unsystematic, erratic, haphazard: Laws have been passed to limit the inordinate hunting of deer.

inquire v. 1 Usually, inquire into. search, investigate, probe, examine, research, look into, inspect, study, explore, survey, scrutinize: Scientists are inquiring into the causes of the greenhouse effect. 2 See enquire.

inquiry n. 1 enquiry, investigation, probe, examination, research, search, inspection, study, exploration, survey, scrutiny, inquest; questioning, querying, interrogation, inquest, cross-examination, inquisition: The police have asked me to help them with their inquiry. They are conducting an inquiry into the cause of the accident. 2 enquiry, question, query, interrogation: Would you please repeat the inquiry?

inquisitive

adj. 1 inquiring, curious, probing, questioning, interested,