Verbs - 15 (351-375)


Hankering (v):  hang-ker-ing
A hankering for something is a desire or longing for it = longing, desire, craving
She still had a hankering to renew her relationship with the senior who had passed out of high school

Harass  (v):  huh-ras, har-uhs
If someone harasses you, they trouble or annoy you, for example by attacking you repeatedly or by causing you as many problems as they can = annoy
One woman claimed that she had been sexually harassed by a male manager

Harry (v):  har-ee
If someone harries you, they keep bothering you or trying to get something from you  = badger, harass
Every day they are harried by everyone they met

Heckle (v):  hek-uhl
If people in an audience heckle public speakers or performers, they interrupt them, for example by making rude remarks = shout out, boo
The speaker could not proceed with his lecture as he was heckled by the audience

Hew (v): hyoo (355)
If you hew stone or wood, you cut it, for example with an axe = chop
The monument was hewn out of the side of a mountain

Hibernate (v):  hi-ber-neyt
Animals that hibernate spend the winter in a state like a deep sleep
Dormice hibernate from October to May

Hone  (v):  hohn
If you hone something, for example a skill, technique, idea, or product, you carefully develop it over a long period of time so that it is exactly right for your purpose = sharpen
To make shaving easier, he honed his razor with great care

Hoodwink (v):  hood-wingk
If someone hoodwinks you, they trick or deceive you = deceive, delude
The tantrik hoodwinked the villagers into giving him their entire money

Imbibe (v):  im-bahyb
To imbibe alcohol means to drink it = drink, absorb
Children should imbibe ethical principles

Imbrue (v):  im-broo (360)
drench, stain, especially with blood
He  refused  to  imbrue  his  hands  with  the  blood  of  more  killing

Imbue  (v): im-byoo
If someone or something is imbued with an idea, feeling, or quality, they become filled with it = saturate, fill
The commander imbued his soldiers with a sense of self-belief

Immolate (v):  im-uh-leyt
To offer a sacrifice especially by burning = sacrifice
Many students immolated themselves against the Mandal commission recommendations in 1990

Immure (v):  ih-myoor
A substance that is impure is not of good quality because it has other substances mixed with it = to imprison, locked up
The king ordered him to be immured for his mistake

Impale (v):  im-pal-uh, -pah-luh
to pierce with a sharpened stake thrust up through the body, as for torture or punishment = pierce
The soldier’s shield proved usless and the enemy’s sword impaled him, killing him instantly

Impair  (v):  im-pair (365)
If something impairs something such as an ability or the way something works, it damages it or makes it worse = damage
The loud bomb explosion impaired his hearing ability

Impeach (v):  im-peech
If a court or a group in authority impeaches a president or other senior official, it charges them with committing a crime which makes them unfit for office = indict
The president may be impeached for misusing his office in order to make some profitable financial transactions

Impede  (v):  im-peed
If you impede someone or something, you make their movement, development, or progress difficult = hinder, block
Debris and fallen rock are impeding the progress of the rescue work

Implement (v):  im-pluh-muhnt
If you implement something such as a plan, you ensure that what has been planned is done = carry out
We have decided to implement the committee's recommendations in full

Imply (v):  im-plahy
If you imply that something is the case, you say something which indicates that it is the case in an indirect way = suggest        
High profits do not necessarily imply efficiency

Importune (v):  im-pawr-toon (370)
If someone importunes another person, they ask them for something or ask them to do something, in an annoying way = beg
One can no longer walk the streets without seeing beggars importuning passers by

Imprecate (v):  im-pri-keyt
 = cursing
He imprecated his bosses for not recommending him for promotion

Improvise (v):  im-pruh-vahyz
If you improvise, you make or do something using whatever you have or without having planned it in advance
I forgot to bring my notes, so I had to improvise

Impugn  (v):  im-pyoon
If you impugn something such as someone’s motives or integrity, you imply that they are not entirely honest or honourable = dispute, contradict
I did not mean to impugn his professional skills

Impute (v):  im-pyoot
If you impute something such as blame or a crime to someone, you say that they are responsible for it or are the cause of it = attribute, ascribe
The police were not guilty of the violence imputed to them

Incapacitate (v):  in-kuh-pas-i-teyt (375)
If something incapacitates you, it weakens you in some way, so that you cannot do certain things = disable
The accident left him incapacitated for an year