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impinge

verb/ɪnˈtruːd, ˌɪntərˈfɪr, əˈfɛkt/

to have an effect or impact, often in a negative or intrusive way

The loud noise from the factory can impinge on the peaceful atmosphere of the neighborhood.

interfereintrudeaffect
word origin — from Latin 'impingere', meaning 'to strike against' or 'to push into'

Proficient — Set 45

Set 45 of Proficient covers 5 words: impinge, prate, whiff, mortify, wane. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.

  1. impinge · verb/ɪnˈtruːd, ˌɪntərˈfɪr, əˈfɛkt/

    to have an effect or impact, often in a negative or intrusive way

    The loud noise from the factory can impinge on the peaceful atmosphere of the neighborhood.

    Synonyms: interfere, intrude, affect

    Origin: from Latin 'impingere', meaning 'to strike against' or 'to push into'

  2. prate · verb/preɪt/

    to talk at length in a foolish or inconsequential way

    During the meeting, he started to prate about his weekend, talking about every little detail that nobody cared about.

    Synonyms: chat, babble, chatter

    Origin: from Middle English 'praten', meaning 'to talk or chatter', possibly of imitative origin

  3. whiff · noun/wɪf/

    a slight puff or gust of air or scent

    I caught a whiff of freshly baked cookies when I walked into the kitchen.

    Synonyms: puff, breeze, scent

    Origin: The word 'whiff' originated in the late 17th century, possibly from the Middle English word 'hwiffan', meaning to blow or to puff.

  4. mortify · verb/ˈmɔrtəˌfaɪ/

    to cause someone to feel embarrassed or ashamed

    She felt mortified when she tripped and fell in front of everyone at the party.

    Synonyms: humiliate, embarrass, shame

    Origin: from Latin 'mortificare' meaning 'to kill' or 'to subdue', derived from 'mortis' meaning 'death'

  5. wane · verb/weɪn/

    to decrease in size, extent, or degree

    As the day went on, the sunlight began to wane, making it darker outside.

    Synonyms: diminish, decrease, lessen

    Origin: Old English 'wanian', meaning to lessen or decrease