ADVANCED VOCABULARY FOR IELTS PART M-2

- I -

Iconoclastic: MEANING: Defying tradition

SENTENCE: Jackson Pollack was an iconoclastic artist, totally breaking with tradition by splashing paint on a blank canvas.

Idolatry: MEANING: The worship of idols; excessive admiration

SENTENCE: We must not allow our idolatry of pop stars to make them seem more than mortal.

Ignominious: MEANING: Embarrassing, humiliating SENTENCE: He suffered an ignominious defeat.

Immutable: MEANING: Unchanging over time, permanent

SENTENCE: Science presents us with some immutable facts, like gravity on planet Earth.

Impair : MEANING: Make worse, damage

SENTENCE: Listening to loud music without earplugs with almost certainly impair your hearing over time.

Impassive: MEANING: Not showing emotion

SENTENCE: His cold, impassive face stared at the cripple begging on the street.

Impede: MEANING: Block or obstruct progress

SENTENCE: The judge determined that the detective had not intentionally set out to impede the progress of the investigation.

Impermeable: MEANING: Not allowing fluid to pass through, waterproof

SENTENCE: The boat is made from impermeable wood.

Imperturbable: MEANING: Unshakeably calm

SENTENCE: Greg remained imperturbable during his exam, even the last moments before completion didn't panic him.

Impervious: MEANING: Not affected or influenced; resistant to water or heat

SENTENCE: The system remained impervious to all suggestions of change.

Implacable: MEANING: Hostile, unable to be appeased, relentless SENTENCE: The barrister was implacable in his handling of the offence.

Implicit : MEANING: Not directly expressed; essentially connected with; absolute

SENTENCE: She had an implicit faith in God.

Implode: MEANING: Burst Inward

SENTENCE: There is a new technology of controlled demolition during which old buildings implode in a matter of seconds, without any damage to nearby buildings.

Inadvertently: MEANING: Accidentally, without intention

SENTENCE: Chris inadvertently dialled Sandra’s number and she happily answered the call.

Incensed : MEANING: Extremely angry

SENTENCE: Mr. Smith is known for his kindness towards children; unkindness towards children by others incensed him.

Incessantly : MEANING: Continuing without stopping

SENTENCE: The batsman hit boundaries and sixes incessantly and won the game!

Inchoate: MEANING: Just begun, not fully developed; rudimentary SENTENCE: The country was a still inchoate democracy.

Incongruity : MEANING: Mismatch; incompatibility

SENTENCE: The incongruity of his fleshy face and skinny body disturbed her.

Inconsequential: MEANING: Having little importance; illogical; haphazard

SENTENCE: Her answers were inconsequential despite the numbering on the page.

Incorporate : MEANING: Bring something into a larger whole; include

SENTENCE: The second division team incorporated third division players in the latter half of the season.

Incorrigible: MEANING: A person or behaviour that cannot be reformed or changed

SENTENCE: My friend’s father is an incorrigible drinker.

Indefatigable: MEANING: Tirelessly persisting

SENTENCE: He had courage, a vivid sense of duty, an indefatigable love of work, and all the inquisitive zeal and inventive energy of a born reformer.

Indeterminate: MEANING: Vague and unclear, cannot be determined

SENTENCE: Our galaxy has an indeterminate number of stars

Indifferent: MEANING: Not caring, unconcerned; mediocre

SENTENCE: Because she felt no desire to marry, she was indifferent to the constant proposals by her lover.

Indigence: MEANING: A state of extreme poverty; destitution

SENTENCE: After the U.S. Supreme Court case, Gideon v. Wainwright in 1963, state governments were required to provide lawyers to indigent defendants.

Indolent : MEANING: Lazy, wanting to avoid effort or exertion

SENTENCE: At lunchtime the indolent kids sat around while the active kids played games.

Ineluctable: MEANING: Inescapable, unable to be avoided SENTENCE: Two ineluctable facts of life are death and taxes.

Inert: MEANING: Not able to move; inactive

SENTENCE: The story was inert and careless, as if the author was writing half-asleep.

Inexorable: MEANING: Continuing without any possibility of being stopped

SENTENCE: Technology moves inexorably towards a digital future.

Inherent: MEANING: Existing as a permanent, essential quality

SENTENCE: New research seems to support the idea that humans have an inherent sense of fairness – even babies become upset at equal and unequal distributions of food.

Innocuous: MEANING: Harmless, inoffensive

SENTENCE: The journalist asked a couple of innocuous questions at the press conference.

Insatiable: MEANING: Unable to be satisfied, physically and spiritually SENTENCE: She has an insatiable desire to learn the English language.

Inscrutability: MEANING: The quality of being impossible to investigate SENTENCE: There is a certain inscrutability of the future.

Insensible: MEANING: Barely able to be perceived; incapable of sensation

SENTENCE: There was an insensible change in his temperature.

Insinuate: MEANING: Hint at something negative; become involved in a subtle way

SENTENCE: He insinuated himself into the conversation of the people at the nearby table.

Insipid: MEANING: Lacking flavour, weak or tasteless SENTENCE: The first band to play at the concert was a little insipid.

Insularity: MEANING: The quality of being isolated or detached SENTENCE: The 1950s were a decade of conservatism and insularity.

Intractable: MEANING: Difficult to manage or mould

SENTENCE: The kindergarten kids were intractable and the teacher grew frustrated.

Intransigence: MEANING: Unwillingness to change one' beliefs; stubbornness

SENTENCE: Despite many calls for mercy, the judge remained intransigent, citing strict legal precedence.

Inundate: MEANING: Quickly fill up, overwhelm

SENTENCE: Her inbox was inundated with emails on her birthday.

Inured: MEANING: Made tough by habitual exposure

SENTENCE: He was inured to the sound of his neighbour’s dog barking.

Invective: MEANING: Insulting, abusive, or highly critical language SENTENCE: His invective was overheard by everyone in the next office.

Involved: MEANING: Connected; highly complex

SENTENCE: She was involved in animal care through her Girl Guides membership.

Irascible: MEANING: Having or showing a tendency to be easily angered.

SENTENCE: Early in their marriage, Julie discovered her husband could be irascible.

Irresolute: MEANING: Uncertain how to act or proceed

SENTENCE: The new governor was irresolute; he needed the advice from the committee.

Itinerary: MEANING: A planned route or journey SENTENCE: His itinerary included an official visit to Canada

- L -

Lacklustre: MEANING: Lacking energy, excitement, enthusiasm, or passion.

SENTENCE: We were disappointed by the lacklustre performance of our cricket team this weekend.

Laconic: MEANING: Saying very little

SENTENCE: While Martha always swooned over the hunky, laconic types in romantic comedies, her boyfriend was very talkative – and not very hunky.

Largesse: MEANING: Liberality in bestowing gifts; generous of spirit

SENTENCE: Her partner’s largesse warmed her heart; he was generous to family, friends and neighbours.

Lassitude: MEANING: Tiredness, laziness

SENTENCE: As a couch potato I turn lassitude into an art form!

Latent: MEANING: Existing, but not yet developed or manifest; hidden or concealed.

SENTENCE: Australia has a huge reserve of latent talent.

Laud : MEANING: Praise highly

SENTENCE: In the newspaper obituary, she was lauded as a brilliant opera singer.

Lethargic: MEANING: Affected by lethargy; sluggish and apathetic

SENTENCE: Yesterday I felt lethargic and stayed at home; today I am rearing to go!

Levee: MEANING: An embankment built to prevent the overflow of a river

SENTENCE: They had their picnic on the levee next to the river.

Levity: MEANING: Lacking seriousness

SENTENCE: Stop giggling and wriggling around in the pew; such levity is improper in church.

Log : MEANING: Record of day-to-day activities; tree trunk

SENTENCE: Lawyers who bill by the hour have to be sure to log all the time they spend on every client's case.

Loquacious: MEANING: Talkative, wordy.

SENTENCE: MIguel is very loquacious and can speak on the telephone for hours.

Lucid: MEANING: Easily understood; clear; intelligible.

SENTENCE: Example sentences are another lucid way of learning vocabulary.

Lull: MEANING: Cause to fall asleep; quieten down

SENTENCE: The continuous reading of vocabulary lulled Miriam to sleep.

Luminous: MEANING: Giving off soft light; shining SENTENCE: Her happy face was luminous in the twilight.

- M -

Magnanimity: MEANING: Generosity of spirit; unselfishness

SENTENCE: Both sides will have to show magnanimity to reach a compromise.

Maladroit: MEANING: Not skilful; awkward; bungling

SENTENCE: A maladroit movement of his hands caused the car to swerve.

Malfeasance: MEANING: Wrongdoing by a public official

SENTENCE: The high-ranking official's malfeasance was discovered only after he had fled the country.

Malingerer: MEANING: Someone who shirks duty, work or effort, often pretending to be unwell

SENTENCE: The doctor said my son was a malingerer.

Malleable: MEANING: Easily influenced; pliable

SENTENCE: The fans of the governor are as malleable and easily led as sheep.

Maverick: MEANING: Rebel, nonconformist

SENTENCE: Most cop movies feature heroes that are maverick police officers, breaking all the rules, blowing things up, and getting their guns confiscated by the chief – but ultimately saving the day.

Mawkish: MEANING: Effusively or insincerely emotional; excessively sentimental

SENTENCE: The Valentine’s Day cards were a bit mawkish to my taste.

Mellifluous: MEANING: Pleasing to the ear

SENTENCE: Ali woke up early to the mellifluous singing of sparrows.

Mendacious : MEANING: Not telling the truth; lying.

SENTENCE: The political party workers had been mendacious throughout the court investigation and as a result they were punished severely.

Mendacity: MEANING: The tendency to be untruthful

SENTENCE: You need to overcome this deplorable mendacity, or no one will ever believe anything you say.

Metamorphosis: MEANING: Change of form or shape.

SENTENCE: The metamorphosis of caterpillar to butterfly is typical of many such changes in animal life.

Meticulous: MEANING: Extremely careful and precise

SENTENCE: She was meticulous in her proofreading and copy-editing business.

Mimicking: MEANING: Copying, imitating

SENTENCE: When Richard was caught mimicking his teacher in a rude way, he was put on detention.

Misanthrope: MEANING: A person who dislikes humankind and avoids human society.

SENTENCE: Hostile and untrusting people can be described as misanthropic.

Mitigate: MEANING: Lessen the extent of a harmful or negative outcome

SENTENCE: Sunscreen is used to mitigate the effects of sun on your skin.

Modicum: MEANING: A small or moderate amount

SENTENCE: When you awarded the Fulbright Scholarship, you will have only a modicum expense of the visa to bear; all major expenses are covered by the scholarship.

Mollify: MEANING: Calm or soothe; gain the good will of

SENTENCE: We tried to mollify the hysterical child by promising her many gifts.

Morbid: MEANING: Suggesting the horror of death and decay

SENTENCE: The stories of the war were morbid and upsetting to the children.

Morose: MEANING: Extremely gloomy and depressed SENTENCE: She was morose after her aunt passed away.

Mundane : MEANING: Common, ordinary

SENTENCE: He was concerned only with mundane matters; where to park the car, what butcher was best etc.