Inure: Definition & Meaning for the SAT
This (may have) shown up on the August 2025 SAT! ⚡️ INURE most nearly means: (A) to injure slightly; (B) to ensure or guarantee; (C) to endure patiently; (D) to accustom to hardship.
📣 TL;DR: Inure means to accustom someone to something difficult or unpleasant. Here’s a mnemonic to remember: If you ENDURE it, you'll become INURED to it. (This will also help you remember inured to).
ℹ️ Part of Speech of Inure
inure is a VERB.
🗣️ Pronunciation of Inure
inure is pronounced /ɪn.ˈjʊr/ or in-YOOR.
📚️ Definition of Inure
To accustom someone to something, especially something unpleasant or difficult, through repeated exposure; to harden or habituate someone to conditions that would normally be challenging or uncomfortable. Example: inured to violence.
📰 Examples of Inure
Here are some examples of the word inure:
After 22 years as an emergency room nurse, Maria had become inured to the sight of blood, but also found it difficult to relax at home sometimes.
Growing up with five siblings inured Jake to chaos, which is why he could study in the noisiest cafés.
The drill sergeant's harsh training methods were designed to inure recruits to the stress and exhaustion they would face in combat.
✅ Quiz answer
Answer to the question above:
D, to accustom to hardship. Explanations: A doesn't work; that's confusing inure with injure. B could be ensure or assure, but that's not what inure means. C is close but endure means to suffer through something, while inure means to become used to it over time.