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INURE:
Say it "en YUR."
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If you live in Florida, you've probably become inured to the hurricanes. Not to mention the heat and humidity: those things are just normal to you, no cause for alarm or even complaint.
Because being inured to something is basically being hardened against it, you might guess that the word inure is related to words like obdurate and indurate, which also have something to do with hardening.
It'd be a good guess! Obdurate and indurate, along with words like endure and durable, come from the Latin durus, meaning "hard." Inure, though, probably comes from the Latin opus or opera, meaning "work."
Opera entered French as œuvre, "work or operation," which influenced an old English phrase, "put in ure," meaning "put in practice, put to work." So, to inure someone is to put them into the habit of something, usually by making them do it over and over.
Speaking of the French œuvre, can you explain how we use the word oeuvre in English? How about the related term, magnum opus? And, can you recall the fancy Latin plural of magnum opus?
definition:
In English, we don't use the word "ure" anymore, but it meant "use, or practice." And to put something "in ure" was to put it to use, or to put it in practice.
Here's an example of the phrase "put in ure" from a 1522 text. It'll look weird, but you'll understand it: "This only lesson wel learned & busily putte in vre."
That phrase "put in ure" was probably so common and popular that it morphed into "inure," sometimes spelled "enure," which we've used for hundreds of years to mean "to get someone very used to something, usually something unpleasant, like work or hardship."
In other words, to become inured to something is to become used to it, thinking of it as normal and acceptable, even though it's not pleasant.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Verb, the transitive kind: "He's become inured to this difficult routine."
Other forms:
Inured, inuring, inurement.
You'll also sometimes see the spelling "enure."
how to use it:
"Inure" is a formal, sophisticated, semi-common word.
Talk about people being inured to things, or people becoming inured to things.
The things we get inured to might be hard work; boring work; bad smells; annoying sights or sounds; harsh or abusive language; uncomfortable temperatures, too high or too low; uncomfortable or painful routines or relationships; bad or mediocre music, shows, or literature; or crimes or atrocities in the news.
examples:
"Stevens argues that society is inured to environmental disasters because of constant media coverage."
— Jessica Lack, The Guardian, 21 March 2011
"I sort of thought I'd become inured to treasured places closing in New York. But this one hurts. I loved Café Loup."
— Sadie Stein, The New Yorker, 19 September 2018
has this page helped you understand "inure"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "inure" without saying "habituate" or "acclimate."
try it out:
Fill in the blank: "After (dealing with something unpleasant for a certain length of time, or a certain number of times), I've grown inured to it."
Example: "After hearing the same six easy-listening songs every thirty minutes of my nine-hour shift, I grew inured to them."
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game this month is Crossword Clues: Movie Titles!
Use the movie title as a clue to come up with a word we've studied. For example, if the clue is "The Great Escape. 6 letters. _ E C _ M _," then the answer is "DECAMP," a word meaning "to get the heck out of there." To see the answer, scroll all the way down. Enjoy!
Try this one today:
Gone with the Wind.
8 letters.
_ V A N _ _ _ _.
review this word:
A. UNASSUMED.
B. UNBOUNDED.
C. UNACCUSTOMED.
2.
In The Guardian, John Patterson wrote, "Hollywood has inured us _____ NSA-style surveillance," adding that a poll revealed how "a slim but clear majority of Americans _____ the 360-degree, all-platform access that the eavesdropping agency apparently now has to their phone, internet and wireless communications."
A. of .. weren't even vaguely aware of
B. to .. weren't worried in the least about
C. with .. found it absolutely enraging how
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
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Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
In English, we don't use the word "ure" anymore, but it meant "use, or practice." And to put something "in ure" was to put it to use, or to put it in practice.
Part of speech:
"Inure" is a formal, sophisticated, semi-common word.
"Stevens argues that society is inured to environmental disasters because of constant media coverage."
Explain the meaning of "inure" without saying "habituate" or "acclimate."
Fill in the blank: "After (dealing with something unpleasant for a certain length of time, or a certain number of times), I've grown inured to it."
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
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