Inure
/ɪˈnjʊr/
verbC1
Definition
Inure means to get used to something bad, painful, or difficult by experiencing it many times. When you inure yourself to a problem, it means you do not feel as upset or hurt by it anymore because it has become normal or familiar.
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See It in Action
To become less affected by something unpleasant through experience
- •After working in the noisy factory for months, he was inured to the loud sounds.
- •People living in cold climates often inure themselves to harsh winters.
- •Soldiers may inure themselves to danger during training.
To cause someone to become less sensitive to something bad
- •Constant exposure to violence in movies can inure viewers to real-life suffering.
- •The long hours of hard work inured her to fatigue and stress.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "inure" like "get used to," but especially for hard or unpleasant things, not just simple changes
- ✓Picture someone slowly becoming stronger like a tree bending in strong wind without breaking
- ✓It's the feeling when you hear loud noise every day and it stops bothering you
- ✓Sounds like "in-YOOR" → imagine someone saying "I'm in your world now," meaning you accept and live with it
- ✓Think of soldiers or athletes who train hard and become tough to pain and stress
- ✓NOT like "ignore" (which means to not pay attention), "inure" means you do feel it but stop being hurt by it
- ✓NOT like "accept" (which can be calm agreement), "inure" is more about becoming less sensitive by experience
- ✓NOT like "adapt" (general change), "inure" focuses on becoming less affected by something negative
Try Other Words
- •Accustom: to make familiar with something (Use when focusing on becoming familiar, not just less sensitive)
- •Harden: to become emotionally stronger or less sensitive (Use when emotional strength or toughness is the focus)
- •Familiarize: to learn about something so it becomes normal (Use when learning or knowing something new, less about feeling less pain)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: prefix "in-" (meaning "into" or "toward") + root "ure" (from Latin "usura," meaning use or practice)
- •Etymology: From Latin "inurare," meaning to habituate or harden by use
- •Historical development: Originally meant to harden or toughen by use; later extended to emotional or mental toughness
- •Modern usage: Used to describe becoming less sensitive or affected by unpleasant things through experience
Reflect & Connect
•Can becoming inured to something make it easier to live with, or can it also make people less caring? How do you think about this balance?
•What are some situations in your life where you have become inured to something difficult or unpleasant?
Fill in the blanks
1.After many years of working night shifts, she was ___ to the tiredness and strange hours.
2.People can become ___ to bad news if they hear it too often.
3.Unlike simply ignoring problems, to inure yourself means you ___ the problem but feel less hurt by it.
4.The movie's violence may ___ viewers to real-world suffering without them noticing.
5.Soldiers train hard to ___ themselves to the stress and danger of battle.
6.When someone is inured to pain, they do not react ___ as they did before.
7.Being ___ to harsh criticism means you can keep working without feeling upset.