English dictionary — definitions & meanings

impostor

noun

Someone who pretends to be another person in order to deceive people.

imposture

noun

The act or conduct of an impostor; deception practiced under a false or assumed character; fraud or imposition.

impotence

noun

A complete lack of power or ability to act or influence events.

impotent

adj

Unable to take effective action; powerless.

impound

verb

To seize and hold something officially, often as a penalty or for legal reasons.

impoundment

noun

A body of water impounded within an enclosure, such as a reservoir.

impoverish

verb

To make poor.

impoverished

adj

Made poor; reduced to poverty.

impractical

adj

Not sensible or realistic to do; unworkable in practice.

impracticality

noun

The state or quality of being impractical.

impractically

adv

In an impractical manner.

imprecate

verb

To call down by prayer, as something hurtful or calamitous.

imprecise

adj

Not precise or exact; containing some error or uncertainty.

impregnable

adj

Too strong or well-defended to be captured, broken into, or defeated.

impregnant

adj

Not pregnant.

impregnate

verb

To make a woman or female animal pregnant.

impregnation

noun

The act of making pregnant; fertilization.

impresario

noun

A person who organises and manages public entertainment, especially concerts, opera, or theatre.

impress

verb

To have a strong, often admiring, effect on someone.

impressed

adj

Feeling admiration or approval because of something.

impressible

adj

Capable of being impressed; susceptible of receiving impression.

impression

noun

A feeling or opinion formed about something, often quickly and without deep analysis.

impressionable

adj

Easily influenced or shaped by other people or ideas, especially used of young people.

impressionism

noun

A 19th-century art movement focused on capturing light, colour, and fleeting moments using visible, loose brushstrokes.

impressionist

noun

An artist, composer, or writer who works in the style of impressionism.

impressive

adj

Causing admiration because of size, skill, quality, or achievement.

impressively

adv

In an impressive manner; forcibly.

impressiveness

noun

The quality of being impressive.

impreventable

adj

Not preventable; inevitable.

imprimery

noun

Synonym of printer, printing house, &c., a self-employed printer or printing establishment.

imprint

noun

A mark left by pressing something onto a surface, or a lasting effect on someone's mind or life.

imprinted

adj

Marked, stamped, or fixed permanently, whether physically or in memory.

imprison

verb

To put someone in prison, or to confine them against their will.

imprisonment

noun

The state of being confined in prison, or a sentence involving such confinement.

improbable

adj

Unlikely to be true or to happen.

improbation

noun

The act by which falsehood and forgery are proved; an action brought for the purpose of having some instrument declared false or forged.

improducible

adj

Not capable of being produced.

impromptu

adj

Done without any preparation or planning; spontaneous.

improper

adj

Not suitable, appropriate, or correct for the situation.

improperly

adv

In a manner that is not suitable, correct, or appropriate.

improperness

noun

The quality of being improper.

impropriate

verb

To appropriate for private use.

impropriety

noun

Behaviour or an action that is unsuitable or improper, especially by breaking a social or moral standard.

improv

noun

Unscripted comedy or theatre performed spontaneously, often based on audience suggestions.

improve

verb

To make something better in quality, value, or condition.

improved

adj

Made better than before; enhanced.

improvement

noun

A change that makes something better, or the process of becoming better.

improvident

adj

failing to provide for the future; reckless

improving

adj

Intended to make someone better, especially morally, mentally, or in health.

improvisation

noun

The act of creating or performing something spontaneously, without preparation.

improvise

verb

To create or perform something on the spot without preparation, often using whatever is available.

improvised

adj

Made or done on the spot, without planning or rehearsal.

improvising

noun

The act of making or doing something spontaneously, without preparation.

imprudence

noun

The quality or state of being imprudent; lack of prudence, caution, discretion or circumspection.

imprudent

adj

Not careful or sensible; failing to think through the consequences of an action.

impudence

noun

Bold, disrespectful behaviour or speech that shows no shame.

impudent

adj

Bold and disrespectful in a way that shows no shame or embarrassment.

impudicity

noun

Immodesty; shamelessness.

impugn

verb

To assault, attack.

impulse

noun

A sudden strong urge to act, often without thinking it through.

impulsion

noun

The act of impelling or driving onward, or the state of being impelled; the sudden or momentary agency of a body in motion on another body; also, the impelling force, or impulse.

impulsive

adj

Acting suddenly on urges or feelings, without thinking things through first.

impulsively

adverb

Acting or done suddenly, without stopping to think it through.

impunity

noun

Freedom from punishment or consequences for something wrong you've done.

impure

adjective

Mixed with substances that shouldn't be there; not clean or refined.

impureness

noun

The quality or condition of being impure; impurity.

impurification

noun

The act or process of impurifying.

impurity

noun

A substance mixed into something that makes it less pure or of lower quality.

imputation

noun

The act of imputing or charging; attribution; ascription.

imputed

adj

Attributed, alleged, assigned, not necessarily proven or justified.

Imran

name

A male given name and surname of Arabic origin.

IMS

abbreviation

A texting and messaging shorthand for "I'm sorry", typed without the apostrophe.

IMU

abbreviation

A texting shorthand for "I miss you".

in

prep

Contained by, inside, or within the limits of something — spatially, in time, or in a more abstract sense.

in a nutshell

phrase

Used to introduce a very short summary of something complicated, giving only the essential point.

in case

conjunction

Because something might happen; used to explain a precaution taken against a possibility.

in charge

adjective

Having control of or responsibility for a group, situation or piece of work.

in depth

adverb

Thoroughly and in detail, covering all the important aspects of something.

in fact

adverb

Used to correct or contradict what has just been said or assumed, introducing what is actually true.

in general

adverb

Usually or in most cases, allowing for exceptions.

in line

phrase

In line with: matching or consistent with something such as a rule, expectation or forecast.

in my opinion

phrase

Used to mark what follows as your personal judgement rather than established fact.

in other words

phrase

Used to introduce a restatement of something in simpler or blunter language, making the meaning clearer.

in particular

adverb

Especially; used to single out one thing from a wider group.

in short

adverb

Used to introduce a brief summary of what has just been said or is about to be explained.

in the end

phrase

After everything that happened, or after a period of uncertainty or delay; used to introduce the final outcome.

in the meantime

phrase

During the period between now and a later event, or between two events already mentioned.

in this regard

phrase

On this particular point or in relation to the matter just mentioned.

in this way

phrase

By this method or using the approach just described.

in vitro

adjective

Taking place in a test tube, dish or other laboratory container rather than inside a living body.

Ina

name

A female given name, a short form of names ending in -ina, such as Georgina or Christina.

inability

noun

Not having the skill, power, or resources needed to do something.

inaccessibility

noun

The quality or state of being inaccessible; inaccessibleness.

inaccessible

adjective

Hard or impossible to reach or get to.

inaccuracy

noun

The property of being inaccurate; lack of accuracy.

inaccurate

adjective

Wrong or not exact; containing errors.

inaccurately

adv

In an inaccurate manner; incorrectly; inexactly.

inaction

noun

A failure to act; doing nothing when something should be done.

inactive

adjective

Not currently active or in use, whether for a short time or permanently.

inactiveness

noun

The quality of being inactive.

inactivity

noun

The quality of being inactive; idleness; passiveness.

inadequacy

noun

The state of not being good enough or sufficient for what's needed.

inadequate

adjective

Not enough, or not good enough, for what is required.

inadmissible

adjective

Not allowed to be accepted, especially evidence in a court case.

inadvertent

adjective

Not intended, and resulting from a failure to notice or pay attention.

inadvertently

adverb

By accident; without meaning to; as a result of not paying attention.

inane

adjective

Silly, pointless, or lacking any real substance — often to an annoying degree.

inanimate

adjective

Not alive and incapable of movement on its own, like a rock or a chair.

inanition

noun

The act of removing the contents of something; the state of being empty.

inapparent

adj

Not apparent; subclinical.

inapplicable

adj

Not applicable; that does not apply or cannot be applied; unsuitable or irrelevant.

inapposite

adj

inappropriate, not suitable for the situation

inapprehensible

adj

That cannot be apprehended; not apprehensible to or graspable by either body or mind.

inapprehension

noun

Failure to notice; failure to be aware of; lack of apprehension.

inappropriate

adjective

Not suitable or fitting for the particular situation, time, or place.

inappropriately

adverb

In a way that is not suitable for the situation.

Inari

noun

A style of sushi made from seasoned rice stuffed into a pouch of sweet, fried tofu (aburaage).

inasmuch

adverb

Used (usually with "as") to mean "to the extent that" or "given that."

inattention

noun

Lack of attention, or failure to pay attention

inattentive

adj

Of or pertaining to a lack of attention; not paying attention; careless.

inaudibility

noun

The property of being inaudible.

inaudible

adjective

Too quiet to be heard.

inaudibly

adverb

In a way that cannot be heard, or is too quiet to hear clearly.

inaugural

adjective

Relating to an inauguration, such as a speech given when someone takes office.

inaugurate

verb

To formally install someone into an official position with a ceremony.

inauguration

noun

The formal ceremony of installing someone into office.

inauspicious

adjective

Suggesting that things will not go well; not a good sign.

inauthentic

adj

Not authentic or genuine; spurious.

inborn

adj

Innate; possessed by an organism at birth.

inbound

adjective

Traveling or heading toward a place, rather than away from it.

inbox

noun

The folder in an email or messaging app where new messages arrive.

inbreak

verb

To break in; break into; make an incursion into; insert into; interrupt.

inbreathe

verb

To breathe (something) in; imbreathe.

inbred

adjective

Present from birth; deeply natural or instinctive rather than learned.

inbreeding

noun

Breeding among closely related members of a population.

inbuilt

adj

Existing as an essential constituent; built-in; inherent; integral.

Inc

adjective

Abbreviation for "incorporated," used after a company name to show it is a legally registered corporation.

Inca

noun

A member of the South American people who built a major empire in the Andes before the Spanish conquest.

incalculable

adjective

So great in amount that it cannot be measured or calculated.

Incan

adjective

Relating to the Inca people or their civilization.

incandescence

noun

the emission of visible light by a hot body

incandescent

adjective

Giving off light because it has been heated to a very high temperature.

incandescently

adv

In an incandescent manner; using incandescence.

incantation

noun

A spoken or chanted formula of words believed to have magical power.

incapable

adjective

Not able to do something; lacking the necessary skill or capacity.

incapacitate

verb

To make someone or something unable to function normally.

incapacitated

adjective

Unable to act or function normally, often through injury, illness, or intoxication.

incapacitation

noun

The act of incapacitating or state of being incapacitated; incapacity; disqualification.

incapacity

noun

The lack of a capacity; an inability.

incarcerate

verb

To lock away; to imprison, especially for breaking the law.