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
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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
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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
-
Followers of the Abrahamic religions are supposed to treat God as immaterial and incorporeal, yet these early Yahweh worshippers imagined him as fully embodied.—
Manvir Singh,
New Yorker,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Positioned as a large-scale genre event, the series updates the legendary SFX property with a contemporary political and social edge, with Shun Oguri leading the cast as a detective hunting a seemingly incorporeal killer.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Before new visitors arrive, previous visitors’ footsteps are apparently erased by an invisible team of sand-rakers.—
Olivia Kan-Sperling,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
-
But, unbeknownst to many observers at the time, Graham was enduring even more withering pressures, with determination that was all the more impressive for being almost entirely invisible.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
Hand Me Downs is a series, with a new essay appearing each day through Mother’s Day, celebrating the gifts—tangible and intangible—that our mothers give us.—
Benny Peterson,
Vogue,
4 May 2026
-
But that intangible touchstone status is harder to repeat, even as the new film — set two decades, one global recession, one global pandemic and an ever-mutating social media revolution later — likewise aims to capture the fraught spirit of its moment.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Because there are no limits on call time, the transition from customer service to therapy was often imperceptible.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Drummers’ timekeeping is fluid; even at its most rocksteady, it’s enlivened by tiny, imperceptible pauses and hiccups.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
With Pluto turning retrograde in your 12th House of Reflection, patterns, habits, or emotional cycles may come into focus in subtle but meaningful ways.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 May 2026
-
Now, there’s no mention of Eugenie’s extended family, just a subtle but clear message about their connection to the King and no one else.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impalpable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impalpable. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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