inure
Pronunciation
  • (British) IPA: /ɪˈnjʊə/, /ɪˈnjɔː/
  • (America) IPA: /ɪˈnjʊɹ/
Verb

inure (inures, present participle inuring; past and past participle inured)

  1. (transitive) To cause someone to become accustomed to something (usually) unpleasant. [from 16th c.]
    Synonyms: habituate, harden, toughen
    • 1912: Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan of the Apes, Chapter 6
      To none of these evidences of a fearful tragedy of a long dead day did little Tarzan give but passing heed. His wild jungle life had inured him to the sight of dead and dying animals, and had he known that he was looking upon the remains of his own father and mother he would have been no more greatly moved.
    • 1996, Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World
      As Tom Paine warned, inuring us to lies lays the groundwork for many other evils.
  2. (intransitive, chiefly, legal) To take effect, to be operative. [from 16th c.]
    Jim buys a beach house that includes the right to travel across the neighbor's property to get to the water. That right of way is said, cryptically, "to inure to the benefit of Jim".
  3. (transitive, obsolete) To commit.
    • He gan that ladie strongly to appele / Of many hainous crimes by her enured.
Translations Translations


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