105 words starting with I

• idealize verb

  to think of someone or something as more perfect than it really is

  Many people idealize village life and forget how hard farm work can be.

  Like romanticize, glorify

• idiosyncrasy noun

  an unusual habit or way of behaving that belongs to one person

  One of my uncle’s idiosyncrasies is drinking his tea from a glass.

  Like quirk, peculiarity, oddity

• idiosyncratic adjective

  unusual and particular to one person or thing

  Her idiosyncratic handwriting slants backward, so everyone recognizes her notes at once.

  Like quirky, peculiar, distinctive

• idle adjective

  not working or being used; lazy and avoiding work

  The buses stood idle in the depot during the long holiday.

  Like inactive, unused, unoccupied

• idyllic adjective

  extremely peaceful, simple and beautiful, like a perfect place

  We spent an idyllic afternoon by the lake, watching the mountains reflected in the water.

  Like picturesque, blissful, heavenly

• ignite verb

  to start burning or to make something start burning; to stir up a feeling

  The dry leaves ignited quickly when the spark landed on them.

  Like kindle, light, spark

• illicit adjective

  forbidden by law, rules or custom

  Customs officers search trucks at the border for illicit goods.

  Like illegal, unlawful, forbidden

• illuminate verb

  to light up; to make something clearer to understand

  Hundreds of oil lamps illuminated the houses during Tihar.

  Like light, brighten, clarify

• illusory adjective

  seeming real or true but actually false

  The shortcut’s advantage proved illusory, because the road was full of potholes.

  Like deceptive, false, imaginary

• illustrious adjective

  famous and greatly admired for past achievements

  The school invited an illustrious scientist to open its new laboratory.

  Like distinguished, eminent, celebrated

• immaculate adjective

  perfectly clean or neat, with no mistakes or marks

  After the cleaning day, the classroom was immaculate.

  Like spotless, pristine, flawless

• imminent adjective

  about to happen very soon

  Dark clouds and strong wind showed that a storm was imminent.

  Like impending, approaching, near

• impair verb

  to weaken or damage something so it works less well

  Reading in very dim light can impair your eyesight over time.

  Like damage, weaken, harm

• impartial adjective

  treating all sides equally; not favoring anyone

  A good referee stays impartial, whichever team is winning.

  Like fair, neutral, unbiased

• impasse noun

  a situation where no progress is possible because people cannot agree

  The two clubs reached an impasse over who would use the field on Saturday.

  Like deadlock, stalemate, standstill

• impeccable adjective

  without any fault or error

  Her impeccable English surprised visitors who thought she had never left Nepal.

  Like flawless, perfect, faultless

• impede verb

  to slow down or get in the way of progress

  Landslides on the highway impeded the buses traveling to Pokhara.

  Like hinder, obstruct, hamper

• impediment noun

  something that slows or stops progress; a physical problem, especially in speaking

  Lack of money was the main impediment to building the new library.

  Like obstacle, barrier, hindrance

• impending adjective

  about to happen, usually something important or unwelcome

  Students grew quieter as the impending exams drew closer.

  Like imminent, approaching, upcoming

• imperative adjective

  extremely important and necessary to do

  It is imperative that climbers carry enough water above the snow line.

  Like essential, vital, crucial

• imperceptible adjective

  so small or slight that it cannot be noticed

  The change in the glacier from one day to the next is imperceptible.

  Like unnoticeable, undetectable, invisible

• impervious adjective

  not letting water or other things pass through; not affected by something

  A raincoat is impervious to water, so you stay dry in the monsoon.

  Like impermeable, resistant, unaffected

• impetus noun

  a force or reason that makes something happen or move faster

  The science fair gave students the impetus to build their own robots.

  Like stimulus, motivation, momentum

• implacable adjective

  impossible to calm or satisfy, especially when angry or opposed to something

  No apology could soften the implacable shopkeeper whose window the boys had broken.

  Like unappeasable, unforgiving, relentless

• implausible adjective

  hard to believe; not likely to be true

  His story that a monkey stole his homework sounded implausible.

  Like unlikely, unbelievable, far-fetched

• implicate verb

  to show that someone is involved in something wrong

  The muddy footprints implicated the dog in the mess on the kitchen floor.

  Like involve, incriminate, connect

• implore verb

  to beg someone very seriously and emotionally

  The children implored their father to let them stay up for the fireworks.

  Like beg, plead, beseech

• imposing adjective

  impressive because of great size, appearance or importance

  The imposing peaks of the Himalaya rise high above the valley.

  Like impressive, grand, majestic

• impoverish verb

  to make a person or place poor

  Years of drought impoverished the farmers in the region.

  Like bankrupt, ruin, beggar

• impressionable adjective

  easily influenced by others, especially because of being young

  Young children are impressionable, so they often copy what older students do.

  Like susceptible, suggestible, malleable

• improvise verb

  to make or do something without planning, using what is available

  When the projector broke, the teacher improvised by drawing on the board.

  Like ad-lib, extemporize, make do

• impulsive adjective

  acting suddenly without thinking about the results

  In an impulsive moment, he spent all his pocket money on a kite.

  Like rash, hasty, reckless

• impunity noun

  freedom from punishment or bad consequences

  The crows stole grain with impunity because the scarecrow had fallen over.

  Like exemption, immunity

• inadvertent adjective

  done by accident, without meaning to

  Her inadvertent mistake on the form meant she had to fill it in again.

  Like accidental, unintentional, unwitting

• inane adjective

  silly and without sense or meaning

  The comedian’s inane jokes made nobody laugh.

  Like silly, senseless, foolish

• inaugurate verb

  to open or begin something officially with a ceremony

  The mayor inaugurated the new bridge by cutting a red ribbon.

  Like launch, open, initiate

• inception noun

  the beginning or start of an organization or activity

  Since its inception in 1990, the club has planted thousands of trees.

  Like beginning, start, origin

• incessant adjective

  continuing without stopping, often in an annoying way

  The incessant rain kept the players indoors all week.

  Like constant, endless, nonstop

• incisive adjective

  clear, sharp and direct in thinking or expression

  Her incisive questions helped the class understand the experiment’s weak points.

  Like sharp, penetrating, keen

• incite verb

  to urge or stir up people to angry or wrong behavior

  The noisy fans tried to incite the crowd to boo the referee.

  Like provoke, stir up, instigate

• inclination noun

  a natural tendency or wish to act in a certain way

  After the long hike, I had no inclination to cook dinner.

  Like tendency, desire, leaning

• incoherent adjective

  unclear and hard to understand because it is not logically connected

  Half asleep, my brother gave an incoherent answer to my question.

  Like confused, rambling, garbled

• incongruous adjective

  strange because it does not fit with what is around it

  A modern glass tower looked incongruous among the old temples of Bhaktapur.

  Like out of place, jarring, odd

• inconsequential adjective

  not important or significant

  Don’t worry about such inconsequential details as the color of the folder.

  Like trivial, minor, insignificant

• incontrovertible adjective

  so clearly true that it cannot be argued against

  Fossils of sea creatures in the mountains are incontrovertible evidence that the land was once underwater.

  Like indisputable, undeniable, irrefutable

• incredulity noun

  the feeling of being unable to believe something

  The students listened with incredulity as the guide described the size of a blue whale.

  Like disbelief, skepticism, doubt

• incredulous adjective

  unable or unwilling to believe something

  She looked incredulous when told she had won first prize.

  Like disbelieving, skeptical, doubtful

• increment noun

  a small amount by which something increases

  The temperature rose in small increments throughout the morning.

  Like increase, addition, step

• indelible adjective

  impossible to remove or forget

  Voters’ fingers are marked with indelible ink.

  Like permanent, lasting, unforgettable

• indictment noun

  a formal charge of a crime; a sign that something is very bad

  The litter-filled river was an indictment of the town’s poor waste system.

  Like accusation, charge, condemnation

• indifferent adjective

  not caring or interested either way

  He seemed indifferent to the match and kept reading his book.

  Like uninterested, unconcerned, apathetic

• indignant adjective

  angry because something seems unfair or insulting

  She was indignant when the shopkeeper accused her of breaking the jar.

  Like outraged, offended, resentful

• indignation noun

  anger caused by something that seems unfair or wrong

  The villagers expressed indignation when the bus fare doubled overnight.

  Like resentment, outrage, anger

• indiscriminate adjective

  done without choosing carefully, affecting everyone or everything alike

  Indiscriminate cutting of trees has caused landslides on the hillsides.

  Like unselective, wholesale, haphazard

• indispensable adjective

  absolutely necessary; impossible to do without

  A good map is indispensable for trekking in the mountains.

  Like essential, vital, necessary

• indomitable adjective

  impossible to defeat or discourage

  The climber’s indomitable spirit carried her to the summit despite the cold.

  Like unconquerable, invincible, unyielding

• indulge verb

  to allow yourself or someone else to have something enjoyable

  On Dashain, we indulge in sweets and festive food.

  Like pamper, treat, spoil

• industrious adjective

  hardworking and busy all the time

  The industrious bees kept flying between the flowers all day.

  Like hardworking, diligent, busy

• inept adjective

  lacking skill; clumsy at doing something

  I was so inept at cooking that I burned the rice twice.

  Like incompetent, clumsy, unskilled

• inequity noun

  unfairness, especially an unfair difference between groups

  There is still inequity between schools in cities and in remote villages.

  Like injustice, unfairness, inequality

• inert adjective

  not moving or able to move; not reacting chemically

  Helium is an inert gas, so it does not burn or explode.

  Like inactive, motionless, unreactive

• inertia noun

  the tendency of an object to stay still or keep moving unless a force acts; lack of energy to change

  Because of inertia, passengers lurch forward when a bus suddenly stops.

  Like inactivity, sluggishness

• inevitable adjective

  certain to happen; impossible to avoid

  After weeks without rain, a water shortage seemed inevitable.

  Like unavoidable, certain, inescapable

• inexorable adjective

  impossible to stop or change once started

  The inexorable rise of the tide slowly covered the sandcastle.

  Like relentless, unstoppable, unavoidable

• infamous adjective

  well known for something bad

  The road is infamous for its sharp bends and frequent landslides.

  Like notorious, disreputable

• infer verb

  to reach a conclusion from evidence rather than from direct statements

  From the wet streets, we inferred that it had rained during the night.

  Like deduce, conclude, gather

• infringe verb

  to break a law or rule; to limit someone’s rights

  Copying another author’s book without permission infringes copyright law.

  Like violate, break, breach

• infuse verb

  to fill someone or something with a quality or feeling; to soak in liquid to release flavor

  The new teacher infused the class with enthusiasm for science.

  Like fill, imbue, steep

• ingenious adjective

  clever and original, especially in inventing things

  The boy made an ingenious water filter from sand, gravel and a bottle.

  Like clever, inventive, resourceful

• ingenuity noun

  skill at inventing clever new ideas or solutions

  With some ingenuity, the students built a bridge out of drinking straws.

  Like inventiveness, cleverness, resourcefulness

• ingrained adjective

  firmly fixed and difficult to change

  The habit of greeting elders with namaste is deeply ingrained in Nepali children.

  Like deep-rooted, entrenched, established

• inherent adjective

  existing as a natural, permanent part of something

  There are inherent risks in climbing high mountains.

  Like built-in, natural, intrinsic

• innocuous adjective

  harmless and not likely to upset anyone

  Most spiders in the garden are innocuous to people.

  Like harmless, inoffensive, safe

• innovate verb

  to introduce new ideas, methods or products

  Companies must innovate to keep up with changing technology.

  Like invent, pioneer, modernize

• innovative adjective

  using new and original ideas or methods

  The school used an innovative method to teach math through games.

  Like original, inventive, creative

• inquisitive adjective

  eager to learn and ask questions; curious

  The inquisitive child asked why the sky changes color at sunset.

  Like curious, questioning, inquiring

• insatiable adjective

  impossible to satisfy; always wanting more

  She has an insatiable appetite for books about space.

  Like unquenchable, voracious

• insidious adjective

  harmful in a slow, hidden way that is hard to notice

  Air pollution is insidious because its damage to the lungs builds up slowly.

  Like stealthy, sneaky, subtle

• insightful adjective

  showing a deep and accurate understanding of something

  Her insightful essay explained why the river changes course every few years.

  Like perceptive, wise, astute

• instigate verb

  to cause something to begin, often something bad

  The principal wanted to know who had instigated the food fight.

  Like start, provoke, initiate

• insular adjective

  interested only in your own small group and not open to outside ideas

  The village was insular, and newcomers took years to feel welcome.

  Like narrow-minded, isolated, inward-looking

• insurmountable adjective

  too great or difficult to overcome

  The wall of snow seemed insurmountable, so the trekkers turned back.

  Like insuperable, overwhelming, unbeatable

• integrity noun

  the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles

  She showed integrity by returning the extra change the shopkeeper gave her.

  Like honesty, honor, principle

• intermittent adjective

  stopping and starting at irregular times

  Intermittent power cuts made it hard to finish the homework on the computer.

  Like irregular, sporadic, occasional

• intimate adjective

  very close and personal; detailed and thorough

  The guide had an intimate knowledge of every trail in the valley.

  Like close, personal, detailed

• intimidate verb

  to frighten someone, especially to make them do what you want

  The big dog barked to intimidate the visitors at the gate.

  Like frighten, scare, threaten

• intrepid adjective

  very brave and willing to face danger

  Intrepid climbers reached the top of Everest for the first time in 1953.

  Like fearless, daring, bold

• intricate adjective

  having many small parts arranged in a complicated way

  The temple’s wooden windows are covered with intricate carvings.

  Like complex, elaborate, detailed

• intrigue verb

  to make someone very curious and interested

  The strange glowing rocks intrigued the young geologists.

  Like fascinate, interest, captivate

• intrinsic adjective

  belonging to the basic nature of something

  Gold has intrinsic value, while a banknote is valuable only because people agree it is.

  Like inherent, essential, built-in

• introspection noun

  careful examination of your own thoughts and feelings

  After losing the match, the team spent time in introspection about what went wrong.

  Like self-examination, reflection, soul-searching

• introspective adjective

  tending to think deeply about your own thoughts and feelings

  He is an introspective boy who writes about his day in a diary.

  Like reflective, thoughtful, contemplative

• intuitive adjective

  based on feeling rather than reasoning; easy to understand and use without instructions

  The new app is so intuitive that my grandmother learned it in minutes.

  Like instinctive, natural, user-friendly

• inundate verb

  to flood; to give someone more than they can deal with

  After the announcement, the office was inundated with phone calls.

  Like flood, swamp, overwhelm

• invalidate verb

  to show that something is wrong or no longer valid

  A single careful experiment can invalidate a popular theory.

  Like disprove, cancel, nullify

• invigorate verb

  to give energy and strength to someone

  A cold splash of water invigorated us after the long bus ride.

  Like energize, refresh, revitalize

• invincible adjective

  too strong to be defeated

  The team seemed invincible after winning ten matches in a row.

  Like unbeatable, unconquerable, indomitable

• invoke verb

  to mention a rule, law or person as support for an action; to call on a god for help

  The captain invoked the rule that every player must get a turn.

  Like cite, appeal to, call upon

• irate adjective

  extremely angry

  The irate farmer chased the goats out of his vegetable garden.

  Like furious, enraged, livid

• ironic adjective

  strange or funny because it is the opposite of what you would expect

  It was ironic that the fire station itself caught fire.

  Like paradoxical, unexpected

• irony noun

  a situation that is strange because it is the opposite of what was expected; saying the opposite of what you mean

  The irony was that the weather expert forgot his umbrella on the rainiest day.

  Like paradox

• irrational adjective

  not based on clear thinking or reason

  His fear of butterflies is irrational, since they cannot hurt him.

  Like illogical, unreasonable, senseless

• irrefutable adjective

  impossible to prove wrong

  Photographs from space gave irrefutable proof that the Earth is round.

  Like indisputable, undeniable, incontrovertible

• irreverent adjective

  not showing the expected respect for serious or important things

  The comedian’s irreverent jokes about famous scientists made the audience laugh.

  Like disrespectful, cheeky, flippant

• irrevocable adjective

  impossible to change or undo

  Once you post the letter, your decision is irrevocable.

  Like irreversible, final, permanent