Definition of impervious
1a : not allowing entrance or passage : impenetrable a coat impervious to rainb : 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
adverbimperviousness
nounExplore Merriam-Webster
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Examples of impervious in a Sentence
… Berlin struck me, above all, as impervious to any political reactions whatever … —Stephen Spender, New York Times Magazine, 30 Oct.1977
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
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
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Attorneys and FBI agents who have worked with Wray describe him as a steady hand, dedicated, and low-key, seemingly impervious to political influence.
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Thus far, both China and North Korea have proven to be impervious to Trump’s tough talk and threatening tweets.
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Here’s the good news: Trump voters do not, in fact, seem impervious to truth.
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And while Rihanna, of course, is probably impervious to such mundane concerns as germs and travel decorum, not every traveler is Rihanna.
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The monthly fees were originally set at $750 per impervious acre, according to DWSD Director Gary Brown, who said at the time fees will be slashed by about 30% for customers already paying a monthly fee of $852.
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The drainage charge per impervious acre decreased to $661 from $750 per acre.
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Name another brand that can be so perfectly tapped into the zeitgeist while remaining impervious to trends, season after season, like Missoni.
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Impervious surfaces in urbanized areas collect oil and grease and litter.
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
IMPERVIOUS Defined for English Language Learners
impervious
playDefinition of impervious for English Language Learners
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: not allowing something (such as water or light) to enter or pass through
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: not bothered or affected by something
IMPERVIOUS Defined for Kids
impervious
playDefinition 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
playMedical Definition of impervious
: not allowing entrance or passage medication packaged in a container impervious to air and light
imperviousness
nounLearn More about impervious
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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
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