impervious

adjective im·per·vi·ous \ (ˌ)im-ˈpər-vē-əs \

Definition of impervious

1 a :not allowing entrance or passage :impenetrable

a coat impervious to rain

b :not capable of being damaged or harmed

a carpet impervious to rough treatment

2 :not capable of being affected or disturbed

impervious to criticism

—

imperviously

adverb

—

imperviousness

noun

See impervious defined for English-language learners

See impervious defined for kids

impervious was our Word of the Day on 12/07/2014. Hear the podcast!

Examples of impervious in a Sentence

He looked at her, impervious to her tears … —Jean Stafford, Children Are Bored on Sunday, (1945) 1953
… the trunk … is encased in so hard a bark, as to be almost impervious to a bullet … —Herman Melville, Omoo, 1847
… Berlin struck me, above all, as impervious to any political reactions whatever … —Stephen Spender, New York Times Magazine, 30 Oct.1977
the material for this coat is supposed to be impervious to rain
the rain forest is impervious to all but the most dedicated explorers

Recent Examples of impervious from the Web

The visitors, notorious for their compact and often impervious defence, looked decidedly shaky at the back, and offered next to nothing going forward in a poor first-half display.

— SI.com, "Girona 2-2 Atletico Madrid: 10-Man Atleti Come From Behind to Rescue Point Against La Liga New Boys," 19 Aug. 2017
Its problem is that the Infractions Appeals Committee is not a court of law and is not impervious to the court of public opinion.

— tim sullivan, The Courier-Journal, "Politics and perception undermine U of L's appeal |Tim Sullivan," 12 Aug. 2017
The cut in impervious surface would result in an environmental benefit: Storm-water runoff from the property to storm sewers that drain to Underwood Creek would be reduced an estimated 22%, according to the report.

— don behm, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "$75 million State Crime Lab, forensic science center proposed for Wauwatosa," 9 Aug. 2017
Proud American men, looking to discover the universe and the future in their spaceships, the very spearhead of the enterprise of modern science, discover a future worse than any past: a nature impervious to artificial powers.

— titus techera, National Review, "The Latest Planet of the Apes: The Exodus Story without God Is Bleak," 29 July 2017
But not even Jon Hamm was impervious to the lure of the butt cut.

— gabriella paiella, The Cut, "Landline Reminds Us of the Worst Hair Trend of the ’90s: The Butt Cut," 28 July 2017
With The Fate of the Furious' $1.2 billion worldwide gross, the franchise appears impervious to fatigue.

— rebecca ford, The Hollywood Reporter, "Hollywood Rethinks Key Movie Franchises Amid a Mixed Summer at the Box Office," 21 July 2017
A blond lady named Daenerys, who is impervious to fire, was born with the ability to ride dragons and was gifted at birth with dragon eggs that would eventually hatch.

— michael harriot, The Root, "The Black Person’s Guide to Game of Thrones," 12 July 2017
Attorneys and FBI agents who have worked with Wray describe him as a steady hand, dedicated, and low-key, seemingly impervious to political influence.

— sadie gurman, The Christian Science Monitor, "FBI candidate Wray to face questions on independence in confirmation hearing," 12 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'impervious.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

The English language is far from impervious, and, of course, a great many Latinate terms have entered it throughout its history. Impervious is one of the many that broke through in the 17th century. It comes from the Latin impervius, which adds the prefix im- to pervius, meaning "passable" or "penetrable." Pervius-which is also the source of the relatively uncommon English word pervious, meaning "accessible" or "permeable"-comes from per-, meaning "through," and via, meaning "way."

Origin and Etymology of impervious

Latin impervius, from in- + pervius pervious

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1640

See Words from the same year

impervious Synonyms

Synonyms

impenetrable, impermeable, tight

Antonyms

penetrable, permeable, pervious

Related Words

close, compact, dense, snug, thick; airtight, hermetic (also hermetical), leakproof, watertight; lightproof, soundproof, waterproof

Near Antonyms

absorbent, leaky, porous, unsealed

IMPERVIOUS Defined for English Language Learners

impervious

adjective

Definition of impervious for English Language Learners

: not allowing something (such as water or light) to enter or pass through
: not bothered or affected by something

IMPERVIOUS Defined for Kids

impervious

adjective im·per·vi·ous \ im-ˈpər-vē-əs \

Definition of impervious for Students

1 :not letting something enter or pass through

The coat is impervious to rain.

2 :not bothered or affected by something

He's impervious to their criticism.

Medical Dictionary

impervious

adjective im·per·vi·ous \ (ˈ)im-ˈpər-vē-əs \

medical Definition of impervious

:not allowing entrance or passage

medication packaged in a container impervious to air and light

—

imperviousness

noun

Learn More about impervious

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for impervious Spanish Central: Translation of impervious Nglish: Translation of impervious for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of impervious for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up impervious? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

impervious

Definition of impervious

imperviously

imperviousness

People Are Reading

impervious was our Word of the Day on 12/07/2014. Hear the podcast!

Examples of impervious in a Sentence

Recent Examples of impervious from the Web

Did You Know?

Origin and Etymology of impervious

impervious Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

IMPERVIOUS Defined for English Language Learners

impervious

Definition of impervious for English Language Learners

IMPERVIOUS Defined for Kids

impervious

Definition of impervious for Students

Medical Dictionary

impervious

medical Definition of impervious

imperviousness

Learn More about impervious

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

'Spox' May Go On The Record

Trending: New Joe Ide Novel Causes 'Righteous' Spike

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Forms of Government Quiz

Words of the Year: 1066