inimical
Pronunciation: adjective. Synonyms: detrimental, pernicious, antagonistic
adjective
Definition of inimical
damaging; hostile in manner or tone
Synonyms for inimical
- detrimental
- pernicious
- antagonistic
inimical in a Sentence
- The entire affair has been inimical to our interests.
Why inimical Matters for GRE & SAT
"inimical" is a adjective that means "damaging; hostile in manner or tone" closely related to words like "detrimental", "pernicious", "antagonistic". As a word starting with I, it belongs to a cluster of GRE and SAT vocabulary that test-takers often encounter in Verbal Reasoning, Text Completion, and Reading Comprehension sections.
On the GRE, understanding "inimical" helps you distinguish between closely related answer choices in Sentence Equivalence questions. On the SAT, recognizing this word in context strengthens your performance on Craft & Structure and Words in Context questions. Seeing how "inimical" is used in sentences — like the examples above — builds the contextual understanding that standardized tests reward.
Study tip: Start with the definition and part of speech (adjective). Then learn its 3 synonyms to build a word network. Finally, practice with spaced repetition to move "inimical" into long-term memory.
How to Remember inimical
One effective way to remember "inimical" (adjective) is to group it with similar words you already know: "detrimental" and "pernicious" and "antagonistic". When you encounter "inimical" on a test, these synonym connections help you quickly recall its meaning — "damaging; hostile in manner or tone".
Use flashcard apps with spaced repetition to review "inimical" at increasing intervals until it becomes automatic.
More Vocabulary Words Starting with I
- iconoclastic — challenging or overthrowing tradition or established beliefs
- identify — To recognize or establish what something is
- identify — To recognize or be able to name someone or something
- ideologue — a person who advocates an ideology
- ideology — A system of ideas and ideals forming the basis of a theory
- ideology — A system of ideas and ideals forming the basis of a theory
- idiosyncratic — peculiar to an individual or group; unique
- illuminate — To help clarify or explain something
- illusory — unreal or based on illusion
- illustrate — To explain or make something clear by using examples or diagrams