Descriptionary

idyllic adj. (iye DIL ik) peaceful, rustic, pastoral. We passed an idyllic rural scene of sheep grazing along rolling green hills.

ignominy n. (IG num MIN ee) dishonor; shame. For acting up in class, Jed had to suffer the ignominy of being sent to the principal's office.

imbroglio n. (im BROHL yo) a confusing or entangled situation. The two parties were involved in a heated imbroglio that soon boiled over into a fistfight.

immutable adj. (im MYOOT uh bul) unchange­able. The Constitution guarantees that our rights as U.S. citizens are immutable.

impartial adj. (im PAR shul) unbiased; fair. You can't be an impartial judge if one of the beauty con­testants is your niece.

impeccable adj. (im PEK uh bul) perfect; flawless. We could easily see how John had been appointed as ambassador; he had impeccable manners.

impermeable adj. (im PERM ee uh bul) impenetra­ble. It was unfortunate we had to camp out in a down­pour but fortunate that our tent was impermeable.

impetuous adj. (im PECH oo us) acting in a careless or thoughtless manner. The impetuous youth threw the rock through the window and immediately regret­ted it.

impinge vb. (im PINJ) to encroach upon or hit up against. If you play your stereo loud all night you impinge on the rights of others to get a good night's sleep.

implausible adj. (im PLAWS uh bul) not possible or probable; unbelievable. The boy's explanation of the spilled milk—that a ghost had knocked it over—was implausible.

implicit adj. (im PLIS it) implied or suggested but not expressed directly. Implicit in the contract was the issue of timeliness, although no deadline was expressly given.

imposing adj. (im POH zing) having a powerful or grand presence. Tourists like to gawk at the imposing skyscrapers all around New York.

impotent adj. (IM puh tent) ineffectual. The new pitcher's attempts at striking out batters were com­pletely impotent; the opposing team hit one home run after another.

impregnable adj. (im PREG nuh bul) secure or impossible to break through. The castle's walls were ten feet thick and were thought to be impregnable.

impressionable adj. (im PRESH un uh bul) easily influenced or brainwashed; suggestible. Young chil­dren are highly impressionable, which is why they must be taught a strong sense of right and wrong from early on.

impudent adj. (IM pyoo dunt) disrespectful in a bold way. Any more impudent behavior will result in suspension from school.

impugn vb. (im PYOON) to criticize or attack, especially that which is questionable. Political oppo­nents often try to impugn each other's records.