Definition

Relating to or involving the act of entering or inhaling, especially in the context of speech sounds made by inhaling air.

Example

The ingressive sounds in some languages are produced by inhaling rather than exhaling.

Conversation

Did you know that some languages use ingressive sounds for their speech?

Really? I had no idea what that meant until now!

Yeah, it’s fascinating how different languages can sound so unique with ingressive phonetics.

I should look into that more — it sounds really interesting!

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Ingressive → It is formed from "in-" (meaning into) and "gressus" (from "gradi", meaning to step or walk). The word describes a movement or action that steps into or begins something.

Memory Tip

Think of 'stepping into' something — 'in-' means into, and 'gressus' relates to stepping. This helps you remember that ingressive refers to entering or beginning an action.

Visually Confused Words