Word: inure (verb)

Associations

The word "inure" means to become used to something unpleasant or difficult, so that it no longer bothers you much. It often refers to developing a tolerance or acceptance of hardship or pain over time.

• Example 1: "Soldiers in war often inure themselves to loud noises and danger." This means soldiers get used to these difficult conditions.
• Example 2: "Living in a big city, she inured herself to the noise and crowds." Here, it means she got used to the busy city life.
• Example 3: "Years of hard work inure a person to stress." It means the person becomes more tolerant of stress.

Synonym: "accustom" or "habituate."
Difference: "Inure" often has a stronger sense of becoming tough or resistant, especially to something unpleasant, while "accustom" is more neutral and can be about any kind of adaptation.

Substitution

You can replace "inure" with:

• accustom (to get used to something)
• habituate (to become used to something)
• toughen (to become stronger or less sensitive) Using these might change the tone slightly. For example, "toughen" suggests becoming stronger physically or emotionally, while "accustom" is more general.

Deconstruction

The word "inure" comes from the Latin "inurere," which means "to burn in" or "to harden by use."

• Prefix: "in-" means "in" or "into."
• Root: "urere" means "to burn."
  So, originally it meant to harden something by burning it in, like hardening metal. Now it means to harden or toughen a person by experience.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when you had to inure yourself to a difficult situation?
• How might someone inure themselves to cold weather?
• Do you think it is always good to inure yourself to unpleasant things? Why or why not?