impinge

verb

im·​pinge im-ˈpinj How to pronounce impinge (audio)
impinged; impinging

intransitive verb

1
: encroach, infringe
impinge on other people's rights
2
: to have an effect : make an impression
waiting for the germ of a new idea to impinge upon my mindPhyllis Bentley
3
: to strike or dash especially with a sharp collision
I heard the rain impinge upon the earthJames Joyce
impingement noun

Examples of impinge in a Sentence

hail was noisily impinging upon the car's exterior
Recent Examples on the Web By providing trustworthy information and more choices, the USDA could help lower emissions without impinging on anyone’s liberty to sell or consume meat. Jan Dutkiewicz, The New Republic, 5 Sep. 2023 Private equity isn’t the whole story here, but its rise accentuates finance’s power to guide city politics away from any measure that might impinge on the extremely wealthy. Sam Needleman, The New York Review of Books, 7 Oct. 2023 The switch to a fabric roof from the previous retractable hardtop also means that putting the top down doesn't impinge on trunk space, which is sufficient to swallow a large suitcase or a couple of roll-aboards. Joe Lorio, Car and Driver, 12 July 2023 The antenna helps keep signals close to Earth’s surface and avoids impinging on the remote-sensing satellites that track the climate and weather changes orbiting above. IEEE Spectrum, 25 July 2023 Given their short career expectancy, NFL players inevitably feel anxiety when injuries or coaching decisions impinge on their financial outlook. Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 20 July 2023 Revisions to Chinese counterespionage laws that came into effect on July 1 have heightened the United States’ concerns about national security impinging on business interests — fears intensified by the growing use of exit bans to prevent foreigners and Chinese alike from leaving. Christian Shepherd, Washington Post, 10 July 2023 Nor will this impinge on his top short-term priority – to reestablish stability and his personal control, after the show of defiance by his longtime protégé, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner militia group. Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 June 2023 Workers at those companies have signed petitions pushing back on requests to return to offices, arguing that doing so would impinge on their productivity, mental health and work-life balance. Taylor Telford and Gerrit De Vynck, Anchorage Daily News, 8 June 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'impinge.' 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

Latin impingere, from in- + pangere to fasten, drive in — more at pact

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of impinge was in 1605

Dictionary Entries Near impinge

Cite this Entry

“Impinge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impinge. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

impinge

verb
im·​pinge im-ˈpinj How to pronounce impinge (audio)
impinged; impinging
1
: to strike or dash especially with a sharp collision
sound waves impinge on the eardrums
2
: encroach sense 1, infringe
impinge on another's rights
impingement noun

More from Merriam-Webster on impinge

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