1
as in dense
impossible to get through or into
the ancient temple was surrounded by vast stretches of impenetrable jungle
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mysterious
being beyond one's powers to know, understand, or explain
the mysteries of that religion are completely impenetrable to outsiders
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3
as in incomprehensible
impossible to understand
the textbook's language is completely impenetrable, at least to me
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4
as in tight
not allowing penetration (as by gas, liquid, or light)
the container of toxic waste has an impenetrable seal to prevent leaks
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of impenetrable
David Benioff wrote 25th Hour (great), Troy (good), and then Stay, this nearly impenetrable psychological thriller that plays out like The Machinist through a David Lynch filter.
—
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
To regulators, crypto appeared as one impenetrable blur of internet scam.
—Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 17 Mar. 2026
Quickly, everyone form an impenetrable mass in front of the four feet of bar while the solitary bartender struggles to hear anyone’s order!
—Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
The material was porous and crumbly, allaying fears that the fuel might’ve fused into a diamond-hard mass impenetrable even to drills.
—Yusuke Maekawa, Bloomberg, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for impenetrable
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
To regulators, crypto appeared as one impenetrable blur of internet scam.
—Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 17 Mar. 2026
Quickly, everyone form an impenetrable mass in front of the four feet of bar while the solitary bartender struggles to hear anyone’s order!
—Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
The material was porous and crumbly, allaying fears that the fuel might’ve fused into a diamond-hard mass impenetrable even to drills.
—Yusuke Maekawa, Bloomberg, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for impenetrable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impenetrable
Adjective
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Had the same volume of water fallen just a few miles to the east, over Houston’s dense urban core, the tragedy would have been far worse.—
Dominic Boyer,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2026
-
This likely provides a pathway — particularly in dense, matter-rich environments like those found in protoplanetary disks — to building up planetary and lunar systems around stars.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Things are shaken up when a mysterious figure (Lee Pace) arrives in the sisters' quaint New England town with a new quest for them.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
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Adding to her woes, her Moroccan Jewish grandmother has just passed away, leaving her with only a family ring with mysterious powers.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The majesty of the natural world and the incomprehensible vastness of space are almost infinitely rearrangeable variables for documentarians.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Arthur is a creepy dude, a generic-looking cellphone store employee with an incomprehensible plan.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch denounced a sustained crackdown on dissent under Talon, citing arbitrary detentions, tighter restrictions on public demonstrations and mounting pressure on independent media outlets.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The pope arrived at the ruins in a rainstorm and with tight security, with sharpshooters positioned around the site and police officers stationed every few yards along roads leading to it.—
Nicole Winfield,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
There are precious few roads, and nothing is impervious to the whims of weather.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Mar. 2026
-
This plant can grow as tall as eight feet and is impervious to drought.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Simultaneously, the solo careers of fellow Pornographers Neko Case and Dan Bejar had begun to take flight—Case as maybe the greatest country torch singer of her generation, and Bejar in his cryptic Leonard Cohen-adjacent auteur mode as Destroyer.—
Elizabeth Nelson,
Pitchfork,
8 Apr. 2026
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There’s a mysterious new leader of EON (ExtraOrdinary Observation and Neutralization), according to a cryptic summary.—
Entertainment Weekly,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Instead, first-time director Fergus Campbell drops us directly into Cleo’s world — no parents, no rules and every authority figure is obscured, like the unintelligible adults in Peanuts cartoons.—
Jourdain Searles,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Mar. 2026
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Later audio intel from subsidiary figures is likewise frequently rendered unintelligible by distortion, staticky transmission, etc.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
2 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The outer layer hardened and became impermeable.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
11 Apr. 2026
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Oil and gas infuse the pores of sandstone; layers of impermeable caprock trap it inside.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impenetrable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impenetrable. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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