The Highly Selective Dictionary for the Extraordinarily Literate (21 page)

Related word:
historically
adverb
,
historicalness
noun
.

histrionic
(
HIS
-tree-ON-ik)
adjective

1. of actors or acting.

2. dramatic or theatrical in manner.

Related word:
histrionically
adverb
.

histrionics
(
HIS
-tree-ON-iks)
noun, plural
or
singular

dramatic behavior intended to impress people.

homunculus
(h
e
-MUNG-ky
e
-l
e
s)
noun, plural
homunculi
(h
e
-MUNG-ky
e
-l
I
)

1. a little man.

2. a manikin, a dwarf.

Related word:
homuncular
adjective
.

honorific
(
ON
-
e
-RIF-ik)
noun

1. an expression implying respect.

2. a mark of esteem.

Related words:
honorific
and
honorifical
both adjectives
,
honorifically
adverb
.

hortative
(HOR-t
e
-tiv) and
hortatory
(HOR-t
e
-
TOR
-ee)
both adjectives

1. serving or tending to exhort.

2. encouraging.

Related words:
hortation
(hor-TAY-sh
e
n)
noun
,
hortatively
(HOR-t
e
-tiv-lee) and
hortatorily
(
HOR
-t
e
-TOR-i-lee)
both adverbs
.

hotelier
(
OH
-tel-YAY)
noun

a hotelkeeper.

houri
(HUUR-ee)
noun, plural
houris

1. a beautiful and voluptuous woman.

2. a beautiful virgin provided in paradise for each faithful Muslim.

hoyden
(HOYD-
e
n)
noun
, also given as
hoiden

1. a boisterous, carefree girl.

2. a tomboy.

Related words:
hoydenish
adjective
,
hoydenism
noun
.

hubris
(HYOO-bris)
noun
, also given as
hybris
(H
I
-bris)

insolent pride or self-confidence; arrogance.

Related words:
hubristic
(hyoo-BRIS-tik) and
hybristic
(h
I
-BRIS-tik)
both adjectives
.

hyperbole
(h
I
-PUR-b
e
-lee)
noun

an exaggerated statement that is not meant to be taken literally.

Do not confuse
hyperbole
with
hyperbola
(h
I
-PUR-b
e
-l
e
), in geometry a plane curve of two equal infinite branches.

Related words:
hyperbolic
(
H
I
-p
e
r-BOL-ik) and
hyperbolical
both adjectives
,
hyperbolically
adverb
.

hypothecate
(h
I
-POTH-
e
-
KAYT
)
verb

pledge or mortgage.

Related words:
hypothecation
(h
I
-
POTH
-
e
-KAY-sh
e
n) and
hypothecator
(h
I
-POTH-
e
-
KAY
-t
e
r)
both nouns
.

iatrogenic
(
I
-
A
-tr
e
-JEN-ik)
adjective

of a disease or medical condition, caused by diagnosis or treatment by a physician.

Related word:
iatrogenicity
(
I
-
A
-tr
e
-j
e
-NIS-i-tee)
noun
.

iconoclast
(
I
-KON-
e
-
KLAST
)
noun

1. a person who attacks cherished beliefs.

2. a person who opposes the use of religious images in worship.

Related words:
iconoclasm
(
I
-KON-
e
-
KLAZ
-
e
m)
noun
,
iconoclastic
(
I
-
KON
-
e
-KLAS-tik)
adjective
,
iconoclastically
(
I
-
KON
-
e
-KLAS-ti-k
e
-lee)
adverb
.

idiosyncrasy
(
ID
-ee-
e
-SING-kr
e
-see)
noun, plural
idiosyncrasies

a person's own attitude or way of thinking, behaving, etc. that is unlike that of any other.

Related words:
idiosyncratic
(
ID
-ee-oh-sin-KRAT-ik)
adjective
,
idiosyncratically
(
ID
-ee-oh-sin-KRAT-i-k
e
-lee)
adverb
.

ignominious
(
IG
-n
e
-MIN-ee-
e
s)
adjective

bringing contempt or disgrace; humiliating.

Related words:
ignominiously
adverb
,
ignominiousness
and
ignominy
(IG-n
e
-
MIN
-ee)
both nouns
.

illusory
(i-LOO-s
e
-ree)
adjective

based on illusion; not real.

Related words:
illusorily
(i-LOO-s
e
-r
e
-lee)
adverb
,
illusoriness
(i-LOO-s
e
-ree-nis)
noun
.

immure
(i-MYUUR)
verb

1. imprison.

2. shut in; seclude.

Related words:
immurement
and
immuration
(
IM
-y
e
-RAY-sh
e
n)
both nouns
.

impalpable
(im-PAL-p
e
-b
e
l)
adjective

1. unable to be touched, intangible.

2. not easily grasped by the mind.

Related words:
impalpability
(im-
PAL
-p
e
-BIL-i-tee)
noun
,
impalpably
(im-PAL-p
e
-blee)
adverb
.

impassioned
(im-PASH-
e
nd)
adjective

full of deep feeling, passionate; ardent.

Related words:
impassionedly
adverb
,
impassionedness
noun
.

impassive
(im-PAS-iv)
adjective

not feeling or showing emotion; apathetic.

Related words:
impassively
adverb
,
impassiveness
and
impassivity
(
IM
-pa-SIV-i-tee)
both nouns
.

impeach
(im-PEECH)
verb

1. call in question, discredit.

2. charge a public official before an appropriate tribunal with misconduct in office.

Do not use
impeach
to mean
convict a public official
. First one is
impeached
, meaning
charged
, then one may or may not be convicted.

Related words:
impeachable
(im-PEE-ch
e
-b
e
l)
adjective
,
impeacher
and
impeachment
both nouns
.

impecunious
(
IM
-pi-KYOO-nee-
e
s)
adjective

having little or no money; penniless, needy.

Related words:
impecuniously
adverb
,
impecuniousness
and
impecuniosity
(
IM
-pi-
KYOO
-nee-OS-i-tee)
both nouns
.

imply
(im-PL
I
)
verb

1. suggest without stating directly; hint.

2. mean; signify.

3. involve necessarily.

Do not confuse
imply
with
infer
, which see.

importunate
(im-POR-ch
e
-nit)
adjective

1. making persistent requests.

2. troublesome, annoying.

Related words:
importunacy
(im-POR-ch
e
-n
e
-see) and
importunateness
both nouns
,
importunately
adverb
,
importune
(
IM
-por-TOON)
verb
.

impracticable
(im-PRAK-ti-k
e
-b
e
l)
adjective

incapable of being put into practice.

Do not confuse
impractable
with
impractical
, which means
unwise
or
not practical
and is used most often to denote unrealistic behavior in the management of one's finances. This distinction does not reflect the practice of permissive lexicographers, who bow to uninformed writers and speakers by treating
impracticable
and
impractical
as synonyms. A careful writer, however, preserves the differences in meaning of these two adjectives. You may find it helpful to realize that
unwise management of one's resources
may be termed
impractical
, while a foolish plan may be termed
impractable
because it
will never be put into practice
.

Related words:
impracticability
(im-
PRAK
-ti-k
e
-BIL-i-tee) and
impracticableness
(im-PRAK-ti-k
e
-b
e
l-nis)
both nouns
,
impracticably
adverb
.

imprecate
(IM-pr
e
-
KAYT
)
verb

call down or invoke (a curse or evil) upon a person.

Related words:
imprecation
(
IM
-pri-KAY-sh
e
n) and
imprecator
(IM-pri-
KAY
-t
e
r)
both nouns
,
imprecatory
(IM-pri-k
e
-
TOR
-ee)
adjective
.

imprimatur
(
IM
-pri-MAH-t
e
r)
noun

1. sanction or approval.

2. an official license to print, especially works sanctioned by the Catholic Church.

impudicity
(
IM
-pyuu-DIS-i-tee)
noun

shamelessness; immodesty.

impugn
(im-PYOON)
verb

1. express doubts about the truth or honesty of.

2. try to discredit (motives, etc.).

Related words:
impugnable
(im-PYOON-
e
-b
e
l)
adjective
;
impugnability, impugner
, and
impugnment
all nouns
.

inamorata
(in-
AM
-
e
-RAH-t
e
),
inamorato
(in-
AM
-
e
-RAH-toh)
both nouns, plural
inamoratas, inamoratos

a lover; a sweetheart (
female
inamorata
,
male
inamorato
).

inanition
(
IN
-
e
-NISH-
e
n)
noun

lack of vigor, especially exhaustion from lack of nourishment.

Do not confuse
inanition
with
inanity
, which see.

inanity
(i-NAN-i-tee)
noun, plural
inanities