📖 I — The English dictionary · page 10

impressive — Everyday, meaning 1: So good, big, skilful or beautiful that people admire it.↗ Example: Your science project is very impressive.↗ · The castle was huge and impressive.↗ · She scored an impressive 98 out of 100.↗ · It's impressive that you can juggle five balls.↗ · The Grand Canyon is an impressive sight.↗ · He gave an impressive speech at assembly.↗

imprint — Everyday, meaning 1: An imprint is a mark or shape pressed into a surface, like a footprint in mud.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: An imprint is a lasting effect that something leaves on a person or a place.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To imprint something is to press or print a mark onto it.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: To imprint something on your mind is to fix it firmly in your memory.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: (books) A publisher's imprint is the brand name it puts on a book.↗ Example: The dinosaur left an imprint of its foot in the mud.↗ · The fossil is the imprint of a fern.↗ · The face of the queen is imprinted on the coin.↗ · That holiday left a happy imprint on all of us.↗ · The phone number is imprinted on my mind.↗ · Her hand left an imprint in the wet clay.↗ · This book is published under a children's imprint.↗ · The proprietor of the house stood bare-headed, and respectfully imprinted a kiss on the hand of the old woman.↗ · Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor imprint any marks upon you: I am the LORD.↗ (Torah LEV.19.28, JPS 1917)↗ · or does exist outside of Himself ; His substance is the foundation of all, and all things bear His imprint and are symbols of His intelligence."↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗ · Yet He is not only that form; for nothing can [p. 9] or does exist outside of Himself; His substance is the foundation of all, and all things bear His imprint and are symbols of His intelligence."↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗

imprinting — Everyday, meaning 1: (biology) Imprinting is the way some baby animals, like ducklings and goslings, learn to follow and trust the first moving thing they see after hatching, usually their mother.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Imprinting is the act of pressing or printing a mark or design onto something.↗ Example: Ducklings follow their mother because of imprinting.↗ · The goslings imprinted on the farmer and followed him everywhere.↗ · Konrad Lorenz studied imprinting in geese.↗ · Imprinting happens in the first hours after a chick hatches.↗ · The factory is imprinting the school logo on our new sweatshirts.↗ · Zookeepers wear puppets so the chicks do not start imprinting on people.↗

imprison — Everyday, meaning 1: (law) To put someone in prison or keep them locked up.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To trap or keep someone or something somewhere so they cannot leave.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To keep something you value, such as your honour, shut away so that it cannot be used or freed.↗ Example: The thief was imprisoned for three years.↗ · The wicked queen imprisoned the princess in a tower.↗ · In the Bible, Paul was imprisoned for preaching.↗ · The bird felt imprisoned in its small cage.↗ · Some people have been wrongly imprisoned.↗ · The snow imprisoned us in the cabin for two days.↗

imprisoned — Everyday, meaning 1: Put in prison as a punishment, or kept in prison.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Kept somewhere and not able to get out, like a trapped animal or a princess in a tower.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (figurative) Unable to escape a feeling or situation: «imprisoned by fear».↗ Example: The thief was imprisoned for two years.↗ · Joseph was imprisoned in Egypt, though he had done nothing wrong.↗ · The princess was imprisoned in a high tower.↗ · Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for a very long time before becoming president.↗ · The bird felt imprisoned in its small cage.↗ · Paul wrote letters while he was imprisoned.↗ · ‘Ah! cruel Queen! what have I ever done to be imprisoned like this?↗

imprisonment — Everyday, meaning 1: (law) Being kept in prison as a punishment.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Being shut in or not free to leave a place.↗ Example: Nelson Mandela survived 27 years of imprisonment.↗ · The robber was sentenced to five years' imprisonment.↗ · Life imprisonment is the most serious sentence in the UK.↗ · The princess escaped from her imprisonment in the tower.↗ · Imprisonment without trial is unfair.↗ · Animals in tiny cages suffer a kind of imprisonment.↗ · From this imprisonment the wicked old man was never freed.↗

improbable — Everyday, meaning 1: Not likely to happen or to be true.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Strange and surprising: an improbable friendship between a cat and a duck.↗ Example: It is improbable that it will snow in July in London.↗ · Rolling a six ten times in a row is highly improbable.↗ · The underdog team won an improbable victory.↗ · The dog and the rabbit had an improbable friendship.↗ · It's improbable but not impossible.↗ · Getting every answer right by guessing is very improbable.↗ · Nay, that is almost too improbable; and yet it is true.↗

impromptu — Everyday, meaning 1: Done or made without planning or practice, on the spur of the moment: «an impromptu speech».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (noun, music) A short piece of music written to sound as if it were made up on the spot.↗ Example: We had an impromptu picnic in the park.↗ · The class gave an impromptu concert for the head teacher.↗ · Toad sang an impromptu song all about his own cleverness.↗ · The teacher asked me to give an impromptu speech.↗ · Schubert wrote famous impromptus for piano.↗ · The street musician gave an impromptu show.↗

improper — Everyday, meaning 1: Not suitable or not polite for the situation.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Not correct or not following the rules.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: In maths: «improper fraction» — a fraction whose top number is equal to or bigger than the bottom number, like 7/4.↗ Example: Turn the improper fraction 9/4 into a mixed number.↗ · 5/5 is an improper fraction equal to 1.↗ · Improper use of the ladder caused the fall.↗ · It is improper to shout in the library.↗ · The bin was full of improper waste.↗ · He made an improper comment and had to apologise.↗ · "'I think it highly improper,' said the tea-kettle, who was kitchen singer, and half-brother to the tea-urn, 'that a rich foreign bird should be listened to here.↗

improperly — Everyday, meaning 1: Improperly means in a wrong or incorrect way, not as it should be done.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Improperly means in a way that is not polite, honest or allowed.↗ Example: The car seat was fitted improperly, so it was not safe.↗ · Food stored improperly can make you ill.↗ · The ladder was used improperly and it slipped.↗ · The judge said the officer had acted improperly.↗ · If you wash wool improperly, it shrinks.↗ · The bin was closed improperly and the foxes got in.↗ · He was improperly dressed for a wedding, in muddy football kit.↗

impropriety — Everyday, meaning 1: Behaviour that is not right, honest or acceptable, especially for someone in an important job.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (formal) A small wrong or rude act that breaks the rules of good behaviour.↗ Example: The official was accused of financial impropriety.↗ · An inquiry found no impropriety in how the money was spent.↗ · The judge stepped away to avoid any appearance of impropriety.↗ · In old novels, being alone with a stranger was seen as an impropriety.↗ · The club's treasurer was cleared of impropriety.↗ · The coach was careful to avoid any impropriety in choosing the team.↗

improve — Everyday, meaning 1: To make something better (improve your handwriting).↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To get better (her reading improved).↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Improve on: to do better than before.↗ Example: You can improve your story by adding more adjectives.↗ · My times tables have really improved this term.↗ · How could we improve our experiment?↗ · The weather improved in the afternoon.↗ · Practise every day to improve your swimming.↗ · She improved on her best time by two seconds.↗ · Eating well can improve how you feel.↗ · Travel improves the mind wonderfully, and does away with all one’s prejudices.”↗ · Tenneman's "Grundriss der Geschichte der Philosophie," improved by Prof.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877)↗

improvement — Everyday, meaning 1: The act of getting better or making something better.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A change or addition that makes something better (home improvements).↗ Everyday, meaning 3: The amount by which something has become better (an improvement of 10 marks).↗ Example: Your handwriting shows a big improvement.↗ · Her test score went from 60 to 75, an improvement of 15 marks.↗ · There is still room for improvement.↗ · The new park is an improvement on the old one.↗ · Dad is doing some home improvements.↗ · The doctor saw an improvement in Grandpa's health.↗ · You have many ships built by learned men, with all sorts of new and clever improvements.↗ · Israel Davidson for suggesting a few improvements.↗ (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914))↗

improvisation — Everyday, meaning 1: Making something up on the spot, without a script or plan — in music, drama or speech.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Using whatever you have to solve a problem quickly when you lack the proper things.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A piece of music, drama or speech made up in the moment.↗ Example: In drama we did an improvisation about getting lost at the zoo.↗ · Jazz musicians are famous for improvisation.↗ · When the tent pole broke, Dad's improvisation was a long branch.↗ · The speech was pure improvisation; she had no notes.↗ · Improv games help you think quickly.↗ · Our band's best song started as an improvisation.↗

improvise — Everyday, meaning 1: To make or do something without planning, using whatever is available.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To make up music, words or acting on the spot, without a script.↗ Example: We had no ball, so we improvised with rolled-up socks.↗ · The actors had to improvise when they forgot their lines.↗ · She improvised a tune on the piano.↗ · He improvised a splint from two rulers.↗ · We improvised a tent with a blanket and chairs.↗ · In drama we improvised a scene at the bus stop.↗

imprudence — Everyday, meaning 1: Not being careful or sensible; doing things without thinking about the risks.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: An unwise act.↗ Example: Spending all his pocket money on day one was an act of imprudence.↗ · Toad's imprudence led him straight to prison.↗ · Swimming alone in the sea was pure imprudence.↗ · The judge spoke of the young man's imprudence.↗ · The family's imprudence with money left them in debt.↗ · We learned from our imprudence and packed raincoats next time.↗ · Sometimes it is a victim's own imprudence, and not a parent's "hasty word," which has placed him in the power of the Evil One.↗

imprudent — Everyday, meaning 1: Imprudent means not wise or careful, so that trouble is likely to follow.↗ Example: It is imprudent to walk alone in the dark.↗ · Spinning on a Thursday was thought imprudent.↗ · Was it imprudent to eat all the sweets at once?↗

impudence — Everyday, meaning 1: Impudence is rude behaviour that shows no respect, especially cheek towards someone older or in charge.↗ Example: The king warned him that impudence would be punished.↗ · Pinocchio's impudence annoyed the wise old Cricket.↗ · The servants treated her with impudence.↗

impudent — Everyday, meaning 1: Impudent means rude and cheeky, not showing proper respect.↗ Example: "You are an impudent liar!" cried the genius.↗ · Do not be impudent to your teacher.↗ · The impudent boy laughed at the old man.↗ · So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face she said unto him: (Writings PRO.7.13, JPS 1917)↗ · For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul; the impudent gather themselves together against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD.↗ (Writings PSA.59.4, JPS 1917)↗

impudently — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: In a bold, rude, shameless way.↗ Example: The poor useth entreaties; but the rich answereth impudently.↗ (Writings PRO.18.23, JPS 1917)↗

impulse — Everyday, meaning 1: A sudden wish to do something without thinking about it first.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (science) A signal that travels along a nerve, or a short push or burst of force.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A reason or force that makes something happen.↗ Example: On impulse, she jumped into the pool with her clothes on.↗ · He felt a sudden impulse to laugh during assembly.↗ · Sweets near the till are for impulse buying.↗ · Nerve impulses travel from your fingers to your brain.↗ · Try to resist the impulse to shout out the answer.↗ · Acting on impulse can sometimes get you into trouble.↗ · No sooner was this done than, obeying an irresistible impulse, he precipitated himself into the deep, and became a sea-god.↗

impulsively — Everyday, meaning 1: Suddenly and without stopping to think first.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Following a strong sudden wish or feeling, often in a way you may regret.↗ Example: He impulsively jumped into the pool with his clothes on.↗ · She impulsively spent all her pocket money on sweets.↗ · Don't act impulsively when you're angry; count to ten.↗ · I impulsively hugged my friend when we won.↗ · Shops put treats near the tills so people buy them impulsively.↗ · He answered impulsively and got the sum wrong.↗

impure — Everyday, meaning 1: Mixed with other substances, so not pure or clean: impure water, impure gold.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (religion, old-fashioned) Morally or spiritually unclean, as in old rules of worship.↗ Example: Muddy river water is impure, so we filtered it.↗ · Rock salt is impure; we dissolved it and filtered out the sand.↗ · Impure gold is mixed with other metals.↗ · The chemist tested whether the sample was pure or impure.↗ · Old laws in the Bible describe things that made people impure.↗ · Drinking impure water can make you ill.↗ · But they could not drink thereat, for its water was foul and impure, and swarming with snakes and frogs and toads.↗ · And thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is impure by her uncleanness.↗ (Torah LEV.18.19, JPS 1917)↗ · How much less one that is abominable and impure, man who drinketh iniquity like water!↗ (Writings JOB.15.16, JPS 1917)↗ · They are all corrupt, they are together become impure; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.↗ (Writings PSA.14.3, JPS 1917)↗ · Every one of them is unclean, they are together become impure; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.↗ (Writings PSA.53.4, JPS 1917)↗