impassible

1 of 2

adjective (1)

im·​pas·​si·​ble (ˌ)im-ˈpa-sə-bəl How to pronounce impassible (audio)
1
a
: incapable of suffering or of experiencing pain
b
: inaccessible to injury
2
: incapable of feeling : impassive
impassibility noun
impassibly adverb

impassible

2 of 2

adjective (2)

im·​pas·​si·​ble

less common spelling of impassable

: incapable of being passed, traveled, crossed, or surmounted

Examples of impassible in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Extremely dangerous mountain travel is expected, with long stretches of roadway becoming impassible with blizzard conditions. Nicholas Merianos, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2024 Karol dives into making fast cash while plotting against Dominique, but at the sublime conclusion, a glowing window in Poland echoes one in France and silent gestures bridge a seemingly impassible gulf. Kristin M. Jones, WSJ, 6 Feb. 2023 But after a freak snowstorm in November 2018 left city streets impassible, Mr. Esposito was asked to resign by a deputy mayor while Mayor de Blasio was out of town. Sam Roberts, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2024 Although some streets remained virtually impassible, most other roads were well-packed and mostly dry. Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY, 4 Sep. 2023 Nobody can go in or out of Burning Man after heavy rainfall on Friday turned the desert floor of the playa into impassible, sticky mud, prompting the Festival’s organizers late last night to ask as many as 70,000 attendees to shelter in place (via SFGate). Wes Davis, The Verge, 2 Sep. 2023 Some of the worst damage occurred in small towns, where buildings were leveled and roads rendered impassible by rubble. Eva Dou, Washington Post, 6 Sep. 2022 Why Trust Us? This year’s surprisingly wet Burning Man festival in Nevada trapped thousands of festival-goers after a flood made the area impassible. Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 7 Sep. 2023 The project would also safeguard nearby homes and help keep four nearby roadways from becoming impassible during major flooding events. Alex Dalton, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'impassible.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective (1)

Middle English, from Middle French or Late Latin; Middle French, from Late Latin impassibilis, from Latin in- + Late Latin passibilis passible

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of impassible was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near impassible

Cite this Entry

“Impassible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impassible. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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