impassable

1 of 4

adjective (1)

im·​pass·​able (ˌ)im-ˈpa-sə-bəl 

variants or less commonly impassible

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

impassability

(ˌ)im-ˌpa-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

impassableness

(ˌ)im-ˈpa-sə-bəl-nəs 

noun

impassably

(ˌ)im-ˈpa-sə-blē 

adverb

impassible

2 of 4

adjective (2)

im·​pas·​si·​ble (ˌ)im-ˈpa-sə-bəl 

1

a

: incapable of suffering or of experiencing pain

b

: inaccessible to injury

2

: incapable of feeling : impassive

impassibility

(ˌ)im-ˌpa-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

impassibly

(ˌ)im-ˈpa-sə-blē 

adverb

impassible

3 of 4

adjective (3)

im·​pas·​si·​ble

less common spelling of impassable

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

impassibility

4 of 4

noun

im·​passibility (¦)im 

əm+

plural -es

: the quality or state of being impassible

the impassibility or aloofness she showed sometimes toward me

—Mary McCarthy

Synonyms of impassable

Adjective (1)

• dense
• close
• impervious
• impenetrable
• impermeable
• impregnable
• frozen
• thick

Adjective (2)

• stoic
• impassive

Examples of impassable in a Sentence

Adjective (1)

The roads were made impassable by the flood.

the road was impassable until snowplows cleared it

Adjective (2)

years of living behind bars had rendered him impassible

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The Strait carries roughly a fifth of the world’s oil, and remains largely impassable. — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 31 May 2026

Hikers also must navigate changing tides that can make portions of the trail impassable during high water. — Velvet Wu, Sacbee.com, 26 May 2026

Adjective

The strait carries roughly 20% of the world’s oil, and has remained largely impassible during the war. — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 16 Mar. 2026

South of there, at Kessler Air Force Base, several roads became impassible. — Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 16 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective (2)

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

Noun

Middle English impassibilite, from Middle French or Late Latin; Middle French impassibilité, from Late Latin impassibilitat-, impassibilitas, from impassibilis + -itat-, -itas -ity

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

1562, in the meaning defined above

Adjective (2)

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

Rhymes for impassable

• passable
• impassible
• irascible
• unsurpassable

Kids Definition

impassable

adjective

im·​pass·​able (ˈ)im-ˈpas-ə-bəl 

: impossible to pass, cross, or travel over

roads made impassable by the hurricane

impassability

(ˌ)im-ˌpas-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun