English vocabulary · B2
Ingenious
/ɪnˈdʒiː.ni.əs/ · adj.
finding a clever solution that no one else thought of.
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Example sentences
- She sealed the leaking pipe with an ingenious fix.
- His tiny robot track was purely ingenious.
Word origin and roots
from Latin
- in — in/into (from Latin)
- gen — born (from Latin)
Synonyms and nuances
- CLEVER (a solution is smart and quick)
- INVENTIVE (creating something original and new)
- RESOURCEFUL (finding solutions with limited means)
Words with the same root
gen — born
- genius — exceptional natural talent that seems born into a person
- gene — a unit of heredity — what is born into us
- generate — to bring something new into being
Lesson notes
Ingenious. It means finding a clever solution that no one else thought of.
Similar words are clever, inventive, and resourceful. Use ingenious when others can't find a way.
She sealed the leaking pipe with an ingenious fix. His tiny robot track was purely ingenious.
In means within. Gen means born. Talent born within you — that's ingenious.