imp
gb/ˈɪmp/ us/ˈɪmp/
B2
Anglais
Sens
0 sens
Nom
informal
B2
entity
1
mischievous child (often affectionate)
a child who is naughty in a playful way
Schéma d’usage :
[a/an] (little) imp
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may think it always means an evil creature; in everyday speech it often just means a cheeky child.
Synonymes
rascal (Common and friendly; less imagery of a devil.)
|
scamp (Often affectionate and old-fashioned compared to imp.)
|
little devil (Stronger and more vivid; can sound more critical.)
Antonymes
angel (Used jokingly for a child who behaves very well.)
Collocations
you little imp
|cheeky little imp
|mischievous imp
|naughty imp
|a real imp
|the little imp
|playful imp
|an imp at school
|that imp
|such an imp
Thèmes
people
|family
|emotions
|daily_life
Exemples
- Stop hiding my keys, you little imp.
- He was an imp in class, always finding ways to make his friends laugh.
- She watched the family imp sneak extra cookies from the tin.
Exemples pédagogiques
- My little brother is an imp.
- Don’t be an imp—help me, please.
Nom
literary
C1
entity
2
small devil or mischievous spirit
a small demon in stories
Schéma d’usage :
[an] imp
Erreur fréquente :
Don’t confuse this noun with the adjective impish (meaning playful or mischievous).
Synonymes
demon (More general; not necessarily small or playful.)
|
goblin (Often not explicitly demonic; more fairy-tale than hellish.)
Antonymes
angel (A benevolent supernatural being, often contrasted with demons/imps.)
Collocations
a malicious imp
|a tiny imp
|a horned imp
|an imp from hell
|imps and demons
|a swarm of imps
|summon an imp
|an imp whispers
|a grinning imp
|a cackling imp
Thèmes
mythology
|religion
|fiction
|entertainment
Exemples
- In the tale, an imp tempts the traveler off the safe path.
- The wizard summoned an imp to carry messages through the smoke.
- The mural showed imps dancing around a cauldron.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The story has an imp in it.
Verbe
technical
C2
action
3
repair a bird’s feather by splicing
to fix a bird’s feather by joining on a new piece
Schéma d’usage :
imp [a feather]/imp [a wing]
Erreur fréquente :
This verb is specialized; in general English, imp is usually a noun.
Synonymes
splice (General word; imp is the specific falconry term.)
|
repair (Broader; does not specify the method.)
Antonymes
damage (To harm rather than fix.)
Collocations
imp a feather
|imp the wing
|imp a broken feather
|imping a hawk’s feather
|need to imp
|carefully imp
|successfully imp
|imped feather
|imping technique
|imping needle
Thèmes
animals
|sports
|craft
|nature
Exemples
- The falconer had to imp the hawk’s broken feather before the next flight.
- After the molt, they imps a few feathers to restore the bird’s balance.
- Once the wing was imped, the bird could fly smoothly again.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
imp
API
GB/ˈɪmp/
US/ˈɪmp/
Syllabes et accentuation
imp (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (imp)
Formes du mot
Noun
- Base: imp
- Plural: imps
Verb
- Base: imp
- 3rd Person Singular: imps
- Present Participle: imping
- Past: imped
- Past Participle: imped
Famille de mots
Expressions
Aucune expression n’est encore associée à cette entrée.