impassable

adjective

im·​pass·​able (ˌ)im-ˈpa-sə-bəl How to pronounce impassable (audio)
variants or less commonly impassible
Synonyms of impassablenext
: incapable of being passed, traveled, crossed, or surmounted
impassability noun
impassableness noun
impassably adverb

Examples of impassable in a Sentence

The roads were made impassable by the flood. the road was impassable until snowplows cleared it
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
It’s tucked in an old-growth redwood tree in the backcountry of the park, in Humboldt County, where there are no roads and a creek presents an impassable barrier, Williams-Claussen said. Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026 With the strait virtually impassable, European benchmark natural gas futures have also skyrocketed and could more than double from levels seen before the war if shipments through the strait are halted for longer than two months, according to Goldman Sachs. Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026 Like the audience members at nineteenth-century séances, Vara is trying to reach across some impassable void. Literary Hub, 4 Mar. 2026 Conditions were treacherous and the roads were impassable. Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for impassable

Word History

First Known Use

1562, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of impassable was in 1562

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Impassable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impassable. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

impassable

adjective
im·​pass·​able (ˈ)im-ˈpas-ə-bəl How to pronounce impassable (audio)
: impossible to pass, cross, or travel over
roads made impassable by the hurricane
impassability noun

More from Merriam-Webster on impassable

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