WORD LIST 147
intractable (in·'trak·ta ̆·be ̆l) adj. unmanageable, unruly, stubborn. The young colt
was intractable, and training had to be cancelled temporarily.
intransigent (in·'tran·si·je ̆nt) adj. unwilling to compromise, stubborn. Young
children can be intransigent when it comes to what foods they will eat, insisting on
familiar favorites and rejecting anything new.
intrepid (in·'trep·id) adj. fearless, brave, undaunted. Hunger had made the cave-
man intrepid, and he faced the mammoth without fear.
inured (in·'yoord) adj. accustomed to, adapted. Trisha had become inured to her
boss’s criticism, and it no longer bothered her.
inveigle (in·'vay·e ̆l) v. to influence or persuade through gentle coaxing or flat-
tery; to entice. Vanessa inveigled her way into a promotion that should have gone to
Maxon.
inveterate (in·'vet·e ̆·rit) adj. habitual; deep rooted, firmly established. I am an
inveterate pacifist and am unlikely to change my mind.
involute ('in·vo ̆·loot) adj. intricate, complex. The tax reform committee faces an
extremely involute problem if it wants to distribute the tax burden equally.
iota ( ̄·'oh·ta ̆) n. a very small amount; the smallest possible quantity. Professor
Carlton is so unpopular because he doesn’t have one iota of respect for his students.
irascible (i·'ras· ̆·be ̆l) adj. irritable, easily aroused to anger, hot tempered. Her
irascible temperament caused many problems with the staff at the office.
ire ( ̄r) n. anger, wrath. I was filled with ire when Vladimir tried to take credit for my
work.
irk (urk) v. to annoy, irritate, vex. Being a teenager means being continually irked by
your parents—and vice versa.
irresolute (i·'rez·o ̆·loot) adj. feeling or showing uncertainty; hesitant, indecisive.
Sandra is still irresolute, so if you talk to her, you might help her make up her mind.
Jjargon ('jahr·o ̆n) n. 1. specialized or technical language of a specific trade or
group. 2. nonsensical or meaningless talk. The technical manual was full of a lot
of computer jargon.
jejune (ji·'joon) adj. lacking substance, meager; hence: (a) lacking in interest or
significance; insipid or dull (b) lacking in maturity, childish (c) lacking nutri-
tional value. The movie’s trite and overly contrived plot make it a jejune sequel to
what was a powerful and novel film.