Barron GRE word
list - I To add words to your word list in Pronunciation Patterns, please double click the word and choose Add. Click here to learn how. |
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| ichthyology | study of fish |
| icon | n. painting, carving, etc of a holy person, itself regarded as sacred |
| iconoclastic | attacking cherished beliefs |
| ideology | n. ideas that form the basis of an economic or political theory or that are held by a particular group or person |
| idiom | n. phrase or sentence whose meaning is not clear from the meaning of its individual words and which must be learnt as a whole unit ; , give way, a change of heart, be hard put to it |
| idiosyncrasy | n. person's particular way of thinking, behaving, etc that is clearly different from that of others |
| idiosyncratic | a peculiarity of constitution or temperament:an individualizingcharacteristic or quality |
| idle | adj. doing or having no work; not employed |
| idolatry | n. worship of idols |
| idyll | n. short piece of poetry or prose that describes a happy and peaceful scene or event, esp of country life |
| idyllic | adj. like an idyll; peaceful and pleasant |
| igneous | adj. (of rocks) formed by molten matter (esp from volcanoes) that has become solid |
| ignite | v. catch fire |
| ignoble | adj. not honourable in character or purpose; shameful |
| ignominious | adj. shameful or humiliating; causing disgrace |
| ignominy | shame or humiliation; disgrace |
| illicit | adj. not allowed by law; illegal |
| illimitable | infinite |
| illuminate | v. provide with light |
| illusion | n. false idea, belief or impression; delusion |
| illusive | adjs. based on illusion; deceptive |
| illusory | based on or producing illusion:DECEPTIVE |
| imbalance | n. lack of balance or proportion; inequality |
| imbecility | n. stupidity |
| imbibe | v. drink (sth, esp alcohol) |
| imbroglio | n. complicated, confused or embarrassing situation, esp a political or an emotional one , |
| imbue | v. ~ sb/sth with sth fill or inspire sb/sth with (feelings, etc) |
| immaculate | adj. perfectly clean and tidy; spotless |
| imminent | adj. about to happen; likely to happen very soon |
| immobility | n. state of being immobile |
| immolate | v. kill (sb) as a sacrifice |
| immune | adj. ~ that cannot be harmed by a disease or illness, either because of inoculation or through natural resistance |
| immure | v. imprison (sb); shut in |
| immutable | adj. that cannot be changed; that will never change |
| impair | v. weaken or damage |
| impale | v. ~ sb/sth pierce sb/sth with a sharp-pointed object |
| impalpable | adj. that cannot be touched or felt physically |
| impart | v. ~ sth (to sth) give (a quality) to sth |
| impartial | adj. not favouring one person or thing more than another; fair or neutral |
| impassable | adj. impossible to travel on or over |
| impasse | n. difficult position or situation from which there is no way out; deadlock |
| impassioned | adj. showingstrong deep feeling |
| impassive | adj. showing no sign of feeling |
| impeach | v. ~ sb accuse (a public official or politician) of committing a serious crime, esp one against the State |
| impeccable | adj. free from mistakes; excellent or faultless |
| impecunious | adj. having little or no money |
| impede | v. hinder or obstruct the progress or movement of |
| impediment | n. ~ person or thing that hinders or obstructs the progress or movement of sth |
| impel | v. ~ sb (to sth) force or urge sb to do sth |
| impending | adj. about to happen; imminent |
| impenetrable | adj. ~ that cannot be entered, passed through, etc |
| impenitent | adj. not sorry for or ashamed of one's misdoings; not penitent; |
| imperative | adj. very urgent or important; needing immediateattention |
| imperceptible | adj. that cannot be noticed or felt because so small, slight or gradual |
| imperial | adj. of an empire or its ruler(s) |
| imperil | v. (fml ) put (sb/sth) in danger; endanger |
| imperious | adj. proud and arrogant; domineering; expecting obedience |
| impermeable | adj. not allowing a liquid to pass through |
| impersonal | adj. not influenced by, showing or involving human feelings |
| impertinent | adj. ~ not respectful; rude |
| imperturbable | adj. not easily troubled or worried; calm |
| impervious | adj. ~ not allowing water, gas, etc to pass through |
| impetuous | adj. acting or done quickly and with little thought or care; rash or impulsive |
| impetus | n. ~ thing that encourages a process to develop more quickly |
| impiety | n. lack of respect, esp for God and religion , |
| impinge | v. ~ on/upon sth have an effect on sth |
| impious | adj. showing a lack of respect, esp for God and religion; not pious , |
| implacable | adj. that cannot be changed or satisfied |
| implausible | adj. unlikely to be true; not convincing |
| implement | n. tool or instrument |
| implicate | v. ~ sb show that sb is involved in sth, esp a crime |
| implication | n. ~ thing that is suggested or implied; thingnot openly stated |
| implicit | adj. ~ implied, but not expressed directly; not explicit |
| implode | v. burst or collapse inwards |
| implore | v. ask or beg earnestly; beseech |
| imply | v. suggest (sth) indirectly rather than state it directly; hint |
| impolitic | adj. not wise; not politic |
| imponderable | adj. of which the effect or importance cannot be measured or estimated |
| import | v. ~ sth ~ sth (into...) bring (goods, ideas, etc) from a foreign country into one's own country |
| importunate | adj. persistent, esp in making requests or demands |
| importune | v. ~ sb (for sth) ask sb persistently (for sth), usu in an annoying manner; beg or demand insistently |
| imposture | n. (action of) deliberately deceiving by pretending to be sb else |
| impotent | adj. unable to take effective action; powerless or helpless |
| impoverish | v. make poor |
| imprecation | n. oath or curse |
| impregnable | adj. so strong and well-constructed that it cannot be entered orcaptured |
| impregnate | v. ~ sth cause (one substance) to be filled in every part with another substance; saturate sth |
| impromptu | adj. adv without preparation, rehearsal or thought in advance |
| impropriety | n. indecent or unsuitable behaviour; dishonest practice |
| improvident | adj. not preparing for future needs; wasteful |
| improvise | v. compose or play (music), speak or act without previous preparation |
| imprudent | adj. not wise or discreet; not prudent |
| impudence | n. being impudent; impudent behaviour or speech |
| impugn | v. express doubts about (sth) |
| impuissance | n. lack of power or effectiveness; weakness |
| impunity | n. with impunity with freedom from punishment or injury |
| impute | v. ~ sth to sb/sthput the responsibility for sth on sb/sth; attributesth to sb/sth ; |
| inadvertently | adv. by accident; unintentionally |
| inalienable | adj. that cannot be taken away |
| inamorata | masc. inamorato |
| inane | adj. without meaning; silly or stupid |
| inanimate | adj. not alive, esp in the way that humans and animals are |
| inarticulate | adj. unable to express one's words, ideas or feelings clearly |
| inaugurate | v. ~ sb introduce (a new public official or leader) at a special ceremony |
| incandescent | adj. glowing or shining when heated |
| incantation | n. series of words used as a magic spell or charm |
| incapacitate | v. ~ sb make sb unable (to do sth); weaken or disable sb |
| incarcerate | v. ~ sb (fml ) put sb in prison |
| incarnate | adj. in the physical form of a human being |
| incarnation | n. person that prominently displays a particular quality |
| incendiary | adj. designed to set buildings, etc on fire |
| incense | n. substance that produces a pleasant smell when burnt, used esp in religious ceremonies |
| incentive | n. ~ thing that encourages sb to do sth; stimulus |
| inception | n. start or beginning of sth |
| incessant | adj. not stopping; continual |
| inchoate | adj. just begun and therefore not fully formed or developed |
| incidence | n. ~ of sth extent to which sth happens or has an effect |
| incident | n. event or happening,often of minor importance |
| incidental | adj. small and relatively unimportant; minor |
| incinerate | v. destroy completely by burning; burn to ashes ; |
| incipient | adj. in its early stages; beginning to happen |
| incisive | adj. clear and precise; direct or sharp |
| incite | v. ~ sb urge or persuade sb to do sth by making him very angry or excited |
| inclement | adj. cold and stormy; bad |
| incline | v. ~ towards sth lean or slope in the direction of sth |
| inclined | adj. ~ wanting to behave in a particular way; disposed |
| inclusive | adj. ~ including sth; including much or all |
| incognito | adj. , adv with one's true identity hidden; in disguise |
| incoherent | adj. not clear or logical |
| incommodious | adj. uncomfortable, usu because too small; inconvenient; |
| incompatible | adj. ~ not able to live or work happily with sb |
| incongruity | n. state of being incongruous |
| inconsequential | adj. trivial or irrelevant; not important |
| inconsistency | n. quality of being inconsistent |
| incontinent | adj. unable to control the bladder or bowels in passing waste matter from the body |
| incontrovertible | adj. so obvious and certain that it cannot be disputed or denied |
| incorporate | v. ~ sth (in/into sth) make sth part of a whole; include |
| incorporeal | adj. without a body or material form |
| incorrigible | adj. that cannot be corrected or improved |
| incredulity | a tendency to disbelief |
| incredulous | adj. not willing or able to believe; showing disbelief |
| increment | n. increase, esp in money paid as a salary; added amount |
| incriminate | v. make appear to be guilty of wrongdoing |
| incrustation | n. formation of a hard outer covering; encrusting ; |
| incubate | v. keep (eggs) warm, usu by sitting on them, until they hatch |
| incubus | n. male evil spirit formerly supposed to have sex with a sleeping woman |
| inculcate | v. ~ sth ~ sb with sth (fml ) fix (ideas, principles, etc) firmly in sb's mind, esp by repetition |
| incumbent | adj. ~ on/upon sb necessary as part of sb's duty |
| incur | v. cause oneself to suffer (sth bad); bring upon oneself |
| incursion | n. ~ (into/on/upon sth) sudden attack on or invasion of a place (not usu made in order to occupy it permanently) |
| indecision | n. ~ state of being unable to decide; hesitation |
| indecisive | adj. not final or conclusive |
| indefatigable | adj. never giving up or stopping in spite of tiredness or difficulty; tireless |
| indelible | adj. that cannot be rubbed out or removed |
| indemnify | v. ~ sb (from/against sth) (law or commerce ) promise to compensate sb for any harm he may suffer |
| indentation | n. indenting or being indented |
| indenture | v. ~ sb contract sb to work as an apprentice |
| indeterminate | adj. not fixed or exact; vague; indefinite |
| indicative | adj. stating a fact or asking questions of fact |
| indices | pl of index |
| indict | v. ~ sb (law ) accuse sb officially (of sth); charge sb |
| indifferent | adj. ~ having no interest in sb/sth; neither for nor against sb/sth; not caring about sb/sth |
| indigence | n. poverty |
| indigenous | adj. ~ (fml ) belonging naturally (to a place); native |
| indigent | adj. poor |
| indignation | n. ~ (at/over/about sth) anger caused by sth thought to be unjust, unfair, etc |
| indignity | n. rude or unworthy treatment causing shame or loss of respect |
| indiscriminate | adj. ~ (in sth) acting without careful judgement |
| indisputable | adj. that cannot be disputed or denied |
| indissoluble | adj. that cannot be dissolved or broken up; firm and lasting |
| indite | write; compose |
| indoctrinate | v. ~ sb (usu derog ) cause sb to have (a particular set of beliefs), esp by teaching which excludes any other points of view |
| indolence | laziness |
| indolent | adj. lazy; inactive ; |
| indomitable | adj. that cannot be subdued or defeated; unyielding |
| indubitable | adj. that cannot be doubted; without doubt ; |
| induce | v. persuade or influence (sb) to do sth |
| induct | v. ~ sb install sb formally or with ceremony in a position or an office; admit sb as a member of sth |
| inductive | adj. based on induction |
| indulge | v. ~ oneself/sb (with sth) allow oneself/sb to have whatever one/he likes or wants |
| indulgent | adj. inclined to indulge |
| industrious | adj. hard-working; diligent ; |
| inebriate | adj. n habitually drunk (person) |
| inebriated | adj. drunk; intoxicated |
| inebriety | habitual intoxication |
| ineffable | adj. too great to be described in words |
| ineffectual | adj. lacking confidence and unable to get things done; without effect |
| ineluctable | adj. that cannot be escaped from |
| inept | adj. ~ (at sth/doing sth) completely unskilful (at sth) |
| inequity | n. injustice or unfairness |
| inerrancy | (christianity) exemption from error |
| inert | adj. without power to move or act |
| inertia | n. lack of vigour; lethargy |
| inestimable | adj. too great, precious, etc to be estimated |
| inevitable | adj. that cannot be avoided; that is sure to happen |
| inexorable | adj. continuing unstoppably; relentless |
| inextricable | adj. so closely linked that separation is impossible |
| infallible | adj. incapable of making mistakes or doing wrong |
| infamous | adj. ~ well-known as being wicked or immoral; notorious |
| infantile | adj. of infants or infancy |
| infer | v. ~ sth (from sth) reach (an opinion) from facts or reasoning; conclude sth |
| infernal | adj. of hell |
| infest | To be present in such numbers as to be a source of annoyance, trouble, or danger. |
| infidel | n. person with no belief in a religion, esp in what is considered to be the true religion , |
| infiltrate | v. ~ (into sth) (of liquids, gases, etc) pass slowly by filtering; penetrate |
| infinitesimal | adj. extremelysmall |
| infirmity | n. weakness |
| inflated | adj. filled with air, gas, etc |
| influx | n. ~ arrival of people or things, esp suddenly and in large numbers or quantities |
| infraction | n. breaking of a rule, law, etc , |
| infringe | v. break (a rule, an agreement, etc) |
| ingenious | adj. ~ (at sth/doing sth) (of a person) clever at finding new or simple solutions for complex problems |
| ingenue | n. simple innocent girl, esp as portrayed in plays, films, etc |
| ingenuous | adj. not attempting to deceive or conceal; open; innocent |
| ingrained | adj. deeply fixed; thorough |
| ingrate | ungrateful person |
| ingratiate | to become popular with |
| inherent | adj. ~ existing as a natural or permanent feature or quality of sb/sth |
| inhibit | v. ~ sb prevent sb from doing sth that should be natural or easy to do |
| inhibited | adj. (of people) unable to relax or express one's feelings in a natural and spontaneous way |
| inimical | adj. ~ (fml ) unfriendly; hostile |
| inimitable | adj. impossible to imitate; too good, clever, etc to imitate |
| iniquitous | adj. very wicked or unjust |
| initiate | v. put (a scheme, etc) into operation; cause (sth) to begin |
| injurious | adj. ~ (to sb/sth) causing or likely to cause injury; harmful |
| inkling | n. ~ slight knowledge (of sth secret or not previously known); hint |
| innate | adj. in one's nature; possessed from birth |
| innocuous | adj. causing no harm |
| innovation | n. innovating |
| innuendo | n. (derog ) indirect reference (usu suggesting sth bad or discreditable about sb) |
| inopportune | adj. not appropriate or convenient |
| inordinate | adj. beyond proper or normal limits; excessive |
| inquisitive | adj. fond of inquiring into other people's affairs |
| inquisitor | n. investigator, esp an officer of the Inquisition |
| inroad | n. ~ (into sth) sudden attack on another's territory; raid |
| insalubrious | adj. unhealthy |
| insatiable | adj. ~ that cannot be satisfied; very greedy |
| inscrutable | adj. that cannot be understood or known; mysterious |
| insensate | adj. without the power to feel or experience |
| insensible | adj. unconscious as the result of injury, illness, etc |
| insidious | adj. spreading or acting gradually and unnoticed but with harmful effects |
| insightful | adj. showing insight |
| insinuate | v. ~ sth suggest sth (to sb) unpleasantly and indirectly |
| insipid | adj. having almost no taste or flavour |
| insolence | n. ~ being insolent |
| insolvent | adj. unable to pay debts; bankrupt ; |
| insomnia | n. inability to sleep |
| insouciant | lighthearted unconcern:NONCHALANCE |
| instigate | v. cause to begin or happen; initiate |
| institute | n. society or organization for a special (usu social, professional or educational) purpose |
| institution | the act of instituting |
| institutionalize | to subject to the deleterious effects of confinement in an institution |
| insubordinate | adj. disobedient; rebellious ; |
| insubordination | n. being insubordinate |
| insubstantial | adj. not solid or real; imaginary |
| insularity | n. state of being insular |
| insuperable | adj. (of difficulties) that cannot be overcome |
| insurgent | adj. in revolt; rebellious |
| insurmountable | adj. (of obstacles, difficulties, etc) that cannot be overcome |
| insurrection | n. sudden,usu violent, action taken by the population to try to remove the government |
| intangible | adj. that cannot be clearly or definitely understood or grasped; indefinable |
| integral | adj. ~ necessary for completeness |
| integrate | v. ~ sth (into sth); ~ A and B/~ A with B combine sth in such a way that it becomes fully a part of sth else |
| integrity | n. quality of being honest and morally upright |
| intellect | n. power of the mind to reason and acquire knowledge |
| intelligentsia | n. the intelligentsia those people within a community who areof high intelligence and concern themselves with mattersof culture, learning, etc; intellectuals as a class ; |
| inter | v. (fml ) put (a corpse) in a grave or tomb; bury |
| interdict | v. (esp law ) prohibit (an action); forbid the use of (sth) ; |
| interim | n. in the interimduring the time that comes between; meantime |
| interjection | n. word or phrase used as an exclamation (eg Oh!, Hurray! or For goodness sake!) , !!! |
| interloper | n. person who is present in a place where he does not belong, interferes in sth which is not his affair, etc; intruder |
| intermediary | n. ~ person who acts as a means of communication between two or more others |
| interminable | adj. going on too long, and usu therefore annoying or boring |
| intermittent | adj. continually stopping and then starting again; not constant |
| internecine | adj. causing destruction to both sides |
| interpolate | v. ~ sth (fml ) make (a remark, etc) which interrupts a conversation, speech, etc |
| interregnum | n. period when a state has no normal or lawful ruler, esp at the end of a sovereign's reign and before the appointment of a successor |
| interrogate | v. ~ sb question sb aggressively or closely and for a long time |
| intersperse | v. ~ B among/between/in/throughout A; ~ A with B vary sth by placing other things at irregular intervals among it |
| interstice | n. ~ (of/between/in sth) (fml ) very small gap or crack |
| intervene | v. (of time) come or be between |
| intimate | adj. ~ having or being a very close and friendly relationship |
| intimidate | v. ~ sb frighten sb (in order to make him do sth) |
| intolerant | adj. not tolerant |
| intoxicate | To make drunk. |
| intractable | adj. not easily controlled or dealt with; hard to manage |
| intransigence | state of stubborn; unwillingness to compromise |
| intrepid | adj. fearless; brave |
| intrigue | v. ~ (against sb) make and carry out secret plans or plots to do sth bad |
| intrinsic | adj. belonging naturally; existing within, not coming from outside |
| intrinsically | adv: He is not intrinsically bad |
| introspective | adj. inclined to introspect |
| introvert | n. person who is more interested in his own thoughts and feelings than in things outside himself, and is often shy and unwilling to speak or join in activities with others |
| intrude | v. ~ on/upon sb/sth; ~ (oneself/sth) into sth (esp fml ) put (oneself/sth) into a place or situation where one/it is unwelcome or unsuitable |
| intuition | n. (power of) understanding things (eg a situation, sb's feelings) immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning or study |
| inundate | v. ~ sth(fml ) cover sth with water by overflowing; flood |
| inured | accustomed to/adapted |
| invalid | adj. not properly based or able to be upheld by reasoning |
| invalidate | v. make invalid |
| invective | n. violent attack in words; abusive language |
| inveigh | v. ~ against sb/sth attack sb or sth violently in words |
| inveigle | v. ~ sb into sth/doing sth persuade sb to go somewhere or do sth by using flattery and deception |
| inverse | adj. reversed in position, direction or relation |
| invert | v. put upside down or in the opposite order, position or arrangement |
| inveterate | adj. (of bad feelings, habits, etc) that have lasted a long time and seem likely to continue |
| invidious | adj. likely to cause resentment or unpopularity |
| invincible | adj. too strong to be overcome or defeated |
| inviolable | adj. that must not be violated or dishonoured |
| invocation | => invoke |
| invoke | v. use (sth) as a reason for one's action |
| invulnerable | adj. ~ that cannot be wounded, hurt or damaged by attack |
| iota | n. the Greek letter I, i I, i |
| irascible | adj. (of a person) easily made angry |
| irate | adj. angry |
| iridescent | adj. showing colours like those of the rainbow |
| irksome | adj. tiresome; annoying |
| ironic | adj. using or expressing irony; full of irony |
| irony | n. expression of one's meaning by saying the direct opposite of one's thoughts in order to be emphatic, amusing, sarcastic, etc |
| irreconcilable | adj. ~ (with sb/sth) (of people) that cannot be reconciled |
| irrefutable | adj. that cannot be proved false |
| irrelevant | adj. ~ not connected (with sth); not relevant (to sth) |
| irremediable | adj. that cannot be remedied or corrected |
| irreparable | adj. that cannot be put right, restored or repaired |
| irrepressible | adj. that cannot be held back or controlled |
| irreproachable | adj. freefrom blame or fault |
| irresolute | adj. feeling or showing uncertainty; hesitating ; |
| irretrievable | adj. that cannot be retrieved or remedied |
| irreverence | The quality showing or expressing a deficiency of veneration, especially for sacred things. |
| irreverent | adj. feeling or showing no respect for sacred things |
| irrevocable | adj. that cannot be changed or revoked; final |
| isotope | n. one of two or more forms of a chemical element with different atomic weight and different nuclear properties but the same chemical properties |
| isthmus | n. narrow strip of land joining two larger areas of land that would otherwise be separated by water |
| itinerant | adj. travelling from place to place |
| itinerary | n. plan for, or record of, a journey; route |