inure

/ɪˈnjʊə(ɹ)/

//ɪˈnjʊə(ɹ)// verb

"inure" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“inure” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To cause someone to become accustomed to something that requires prolonged or repeated tolerance of one or more unpleasantries.

Corpus desk

Index EN-inure · inure · English

inure · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "I" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for inure
PropertyValue
Headwordinure
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪˈnjʊə(ɹ)/
Letters5
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “inure” in English

inurefalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

inure is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /ɪˈnjʊə(ɹ)/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for inure, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English inuren, equivalent to in- + ure (“practise, exercise”). The correct English form is inure, spelled I-N-U-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To cause someone to become accustomed to something that requires prolonged or repeated tolerance of one or more unpleasantries.
  2. 2
    To take effect, to be operative.
  3. 3
    To commit.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how inure appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Matcht with as valiant men, and of as cleane a might, / As skilfull to commaund, and as inur’d to fight.
  2. 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.

Etymology

From Middle English inuren, equivalent to in- + ure (“practise, exercise”).

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "inure"?
"inure" is spelled I-N-U-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪˈnjʊə(ɹ)/.
What does "inure" mean?
As a verb, "inure" means: To cause someone to become accustomed to something that requires prolonged or repeated tolerance of one or more unpleasantries.
How do you pronounce "inure"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "inure" is /ɪˈnjʊə(ɹ)/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "inure"?
From Middle English inuren, equivalent to in- + ure (“practise, exercise”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list