Word Study
inroad
CIDE DICTIONARY
inroad, n.
The entrance of an enemy into a country with purposes of hostility; a sudden or desultory incursion or invasion; raid; encroachment. [1913 Webster]
"The loss of Shrewsbury exposed all North Wales to the daily inroads of the enemy." [1913 Webster]
"With perpetual inroads to alarm,
Though inaccessible, his fatal throne."
Though inaccessible, his fatal throne."
Syn. -- Invasion; incursion; irruption. See Invasion.
inroad, v. t.
To make an inroad into; to invade. [1913 Webster]
"The Saracens . . . conquered Spain, inroaded Aquitaine." [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
inroad, n.
1 (often in pl.; usu. foll. by on, into) an encroachment; a using up of resources etc. (makes inroads on my time).
2 a hostile attack; a raid.
1 (often in pl.; usu. foll. by on, into) an encroachment; a using up of resources etc. (makes inroads on my time).
2 a hostile attack; a raid.
Etymology
IN + ROAD(1) in sense 'riding'
THESAURUS
inroad
advances, air attack, air raid, air strike, attack, bankruptcy, boarding, breakage, breakdown, breakthrough, collapse, crack-up, crippling, damage, destruction, detriment, dilapidation, disablement, disrepair, encroachment, entrance, entrenchment, escalade, fire raid, foray, harm, hobbling, hurt, hurting, impairment, impingement, imposition, incapacitation, incursion, infiltration, influx, infraction, infringement, injection, injury, insinuation, interference, interjection, interloping, interposition, interposure, interruption, intervention, intrusion, invasion, irruption, loss, maiming, mayhem, mischief, mutilation, obtrusion, overrun, overstepping, overswarm, penetration, progress, raid, razzia, ruination, ruinousness, sabotage, saturation raid, scaling, scathe, shuttle raid, sickening, spoiling, transgression, trespass, trespassing, unlawful entry, usurpation, weakeningROGET THESAURUS
inroad
Deterioration
N deterioration, debasement, wane, ebb, recession, retrogradation, decrease, degeneracy, degeneration, degenerateness, degradation, depravation, depravement, devolution, depravity, demoralization, retrogression, masochism, impairment, inquination, injury, damage, loss, detriment, delaceration, outrage, havoc, inroad, ravage, scath, perversion, prostitution, vitiation, discoloration, oxidation, pollution, defoedation, poisoning, venenation, leaven, contamination, canker, corruption, adulteration, alloy, decline, declension, declination, decadence, decadency, falling off, caducity, decrepitude, decay, dilapidation, ravages of time, wear and tear, corrosion, erosion, moldiness, rottenness, moth and rust, dry rot, blight, marasmus, atrophy, collapse, disorganization, delabrement (destruction), aphid, Aphis, plant louse, puceron, vinefretter, vinegrub, wreck, mere wreck, honeycomb, magni nominis umbra, jade, plug, rackabones, skate, tackey, tacky, have seen better days, deteriorate, degenerate, fall off, wane, ebb, retrograde, decline, droop, go down, go downhill, go from bad to worse, go farther and fare worse, jump out of the frying pan into the fire, run to seed, go to seed, run to waste swale, sweal, lapse, be the worse for, sphacelate: break, break down, spring a leak, crack, start, shrivel, fade, go off, wither, molder, rot, rankle, decay, go bad, go to decay, fall into decay, fall into the sear and yellow leaf, rust, crumble, shake, totter, totter to its fall, perish, die, deteriorate, weaken, put back, set back, taint, infect, contaminate, poison, empoison, envenom, canker, corrupt, exulcerate, pollute, vitiate, inquinate, debase, embase, denaturalize, denature, leaven, deflower, debauch, defile, deprave, degrade, ulcerate, stain, discolor, alloy, adulterate, sophisticate, tamper with, prejudice, pervert, prostitute, demoralize, brutalize, render vicious, embitter, acerbate, exacerbate, aggravate, injure, impair, labefy, damage, harm, hurt, shend, scath, scathe, spoil, mar, despoil, dilapidate, waste, overrun, ravage, pillage, wound, stab, pierce, maim, lame, surbate, cripple, hough, hamstring, hit between wind and water, scotch, mangle, mutilate, disfigure, blemish, deface, warp, blight, rot, corrode, erode, wear away, wear out, gnaw, gnaw at the root of, sap, mine, undermine, shake, sap the foundations of, break up, disorganize, dismantle, dismast, destroy, damnify, do one's worst, knock down, deal a blow to, play havoc with, play sad havoc with, play the mischief with, play the deuce with, play the very devil with, play havoc among, play sad havoc among, play the mischief among, play the deuce among, play the very devil among, decimate, Adj, unimproved &c (improve), deteriorated, altered, altered for the worse, injured, sprung, withering, spoiling, on the wane, on the decline, tabid, degenerate, marescent, worse, the worse for, all the worse for, out of repair, out of tune, imperfect, the worse for wear, battered, weathered, weather-beaten, stale, passe, shaken, dilapidated, frayed, faded, wilted, shabby, secondhand, threadbare, worn, worn to a thread, worn to a shadow, worn to the stump, worn to rags, reduced, reduced to a skeleton, far gone, tacky, decayed, moth-eaten, worm-eaten, mildewed, rusty, moldy, spotted, seedy, time-worn, moss-grown, discolored, effete, wasted, crumbling, moldering, rotten, cankered, blighted, tainted, depraved, decrepid, decrepit, broke, busted, broken, out of commission, hors de combat, out of action, broken down, done, done for, done up, worn out, used up, finished, beyond saving, fit for the dust hole, fit for the wastepaper basket, past work, at a low ebb, in a bad way, on one's last legs, undermined, deciduous, nodding to its fall, tottering, past cure, fatigued, retrograde, deleterious, out of the frying pan into the fire, agrescit medendo, what a falling off was there!.Attack
N attack, assault, assault and battery, onset, onslaught, charge, aggression, offense, incursion, inroad, invasion, irruption, outbreak, estrapade, ruade, coupe de main, sally, sortie, camisade, raid, foray, run at, run against, dead set at, storm, storming, boarding, escalade, siege, investment, obsession, bombardment, cannonade, fire, volley, platoon fire, file fire, fusillade, sharpshooting, broadside, raking fire, cross fire, volley of grapeshot, whiff of the grape, feu d'enfer, cut, thrust, lunge, pass, passado, carte and tierce, home thrust, coupe de bec, kick, punch, battue, razzia, Jacquerie, dragonnade, devastation, eboulement, assailant, aggressor, invader, base of operations, point of attack, echelon, attacking, aggressive, offensive, obsidional, up in arms, on the offensive, Int, up and at them!, the din of arms, the yell of savage rage, the shriek of agony, the groan of death, their fatal hands no second stroke intend, thirst for glory quells the love of life.Ingress
N ingress, entrance, entry, introgression, influx, intrusion, inroad, incursion, invasion, irruption, ingression, penetration, interpenetration, illapse, import, infiltration, immigration, admission, insinuation, insertion, inlet, way in, mouth, door, barway, path, conduit, immigrant, incoming.For further exploring for "inroad" in Webster Dictionary Online