1
as in incorporeal
not capable of being perceived by the sense of touch
the rich colors used in the wall coverings and furniture give the room an impalpable warmth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in invisible
not perceptible by a sense or by the mind
any difference between the two sound systems is impalpable to all but the most discerning audiophiles
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of impalpable
The principle consists in mixing, with the sewage, quantities of lime and clay, combining with the carbonic acid of the fecal matters to form carbonate of lime, in an impalpable powder.
—
Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 15 June 2022
This is the primordial key point, the impalpable idea that will finally turn out to be the engine of your business.
—Xavier Preterit, Forbes, 22 Apr. 2022
And so, with 24 regular-season games remaining for the Utah Jazz after the All-Star break, hard-and-fast conclusions about this team remain frustratingly elusive and impalpable.
—Eric Walden, The Salt Lake Tribune, 24 Feb. 2022
But there’s an argument to be made that the colorless, soundless, impalpable structures of symbols and relationships of science are far more revealing.
—Kc Cole, Wired, 22 Dec. 2021
Afterward, as in Vienna, property relations were forever altered, which had an impalpable but unmistakable effect on attitudes.
—New York Times, 29 June 2021
The full album as well features similar, almost impalpable, differences.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 13 Apr. 2021
In these distant and impalpable moments, I am touched.
—Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 18 Mar. 2021
Appearing in all four games this season, Grossman has displayed an impalpable ability for generating first downs on crucial drives for UAB this season.
—Evan Dudley, al, 5 Oct. 2019
Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 15 June 2022
This is the primordial key point, the impalpable idea that will finally turn out to be the engine of your business.
—Xavier Preterit, Forbes, 22 Apr. 2022
And so, with 24 regular-season games remaining for the Utah Jazz after the All-Star break, hard-and-fast conclusions about this team remain frustratingly elusive and impalpable.
—Eric Walden, The Salt Lake Tribune, 24 Feb. 2022
But there’s an argument to be made that the colorless, soundless, impalpable structures of symbols and relationships of science are far more revealing.
—Kc Cole, Wired, 22 Dec. 2021
Afterward, as in Vienna, property relations were forever altered, which had an impalpable but unmistakable effect on attitudes.
—New York Times, 29 June 2021
The full album as well features similar, almost impalpable, differences.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 13 Apr. 2021
In these distant and impalpable moments, I am touched.
—Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 18 Mar. 2021
Appearing in all four games this season, Grossman has displayed an impalpable ability for generating first downs on crucial drives for UAB this season.
—Evan Dudley, al, 5 Oct. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impalpable
Adjective
-
Indeed, in stark contrast to the incorporeal nature of a digital image, each of Winant’s photographs is, in a sense, a discrete body: a fallible material entity that boasts a hidden physical history and that will compositionally deteriorate over time.—
Jessica Simmons-Reid,
Artforum,
1 June 2025
-
If reason teaches that God is incorporeal, this means that God has no body; God does not physically see, nor do people see God.—
Randy L. Friedman,
The Conversation,
16 Feb. 2024
Adjective
-
Agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) don't just manage disease outbreaks or approve new treatments—they're the invisible safety net beneath our health system.—
Kristen Waggoner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
-
Think of your circadian rhythm as an invisible operating system.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
And then there’s the intangible damage—a reputation that these companies might never fully recover from.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
30 June 2025
-
Overall, the Canucks’ draft class, in addition to Cootes, includes a small handful of genuinely interesting bets and some project players that Vancouver’s amateur scouting staff clearly loved for character and intangible reasons.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
29 June 2025
Adjective
-
Deepfakes can be detected by analyzing pixel-level abnormalities that are imperceptible to humans.—
Rohan Pinto,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
-
Among adults and adolescents, there was no difference at all between the two groups; among children, the differences were so minor as to be almost imperceptible.—
Paul Tough Eric Jason Martin Krish Seenivasan Brian St. Pierre,
New York Times,
13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In this edition, the grey tone reflects the muted, misty landscape of the British coast, with subtle variations achieved through multiple layers of transparent lacquer.—
Matthew Catellier,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
-
The boxy shape and subtle back snaps add airflow and style, and the whole outfit can be rinsed in a hotel sink and re-worn with no stress.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Travel + Leisure,
30 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impalpable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impalpable. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share