1 impenetrable | Definition of impenetrable

impenetrable

adjective
im·​pen·​e·​tra·​ble | \ (ËŒ)im-ˈpe-nÉ™-trÉ™-bÉ™l How to pronounce impenetrable (audio) \

Definition of impenetrable

1a : incapable of being penetrated or pierced
b : inaccessible to knowledge, reason, or sympathy : impervious
2 : incapable of being comprehended : inscrutable

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Other Words from impenetrable

impenetrably \ (ËŒ)im-​ˈpe-​nÉ™-​trÉ™-​blÄ“ How to pronounce impenetrably (audio) \ adverb

Examples of impenetrable in a Sentence

The fort's defenses were thought to be impenetrable. the ancient temple was surrounded by vast stretches of impenetrable jungle

Recent Examples on the Web

There was like a deep, impenetrable sadness from within. Mike Cason | [email protected], al, "Death of Hoover Marine inspires fight against veterans’ suicides," 27 Aug. 2019 Intrigue surrounding the impenetrable desert compound for decades has fueled conspiracy theories and local lore about what exactly goes on there. Ed Komenda, USA TODAY, "Specter of 'Storm Area 51' leads second Nevada county to OK emergency order," 26 Aug. 2019 And the Dakota set a bar for New York living - and for the city's impenetrable co-op boards. Lavanya Ramanathan, chicagotribune.com, "From ‘Liz’ to ‘The Jason’: The bizarre trend of fancy apartments with human names," 23 Aug. 2019 Another impenetrable footage dump, with creepy baby handprints, invisible babies, babies-as-equipment, all sorts of babies. Hayden Dingman, PCWorld, "The 18 biggest game reveals from Gamescom's first-ever keynote—including Kerbal Space Program 2," 19 Aug. 2019 The trees and brush surrounding two dismantled Hulett ore unloaders at Cleveland Bulk Terminal on Whiskey Island look impenetrable. Steven Litt, cleveland.com, "See dismantled Huletts on Whiskey Island: Industrial history covered in rust, greenery (photos)," 18 Aug. 2019 Or about finding a solution to some impenetrable physics equation. David Lyman, Cincinnati.com, "How do you rope in a local rock star? Johnny Cash, of course," 12 Aug. 2019 The Fever didn't make any 3-pointers in the game, while struggling to stop Connecticut center Jonquel Jones on July 14, 2019 Tyler Kraft, Indianapolis Star INDIANAPOLIS — The 3-point line was an impenetrable wall Sunday for the Indiana Fever. Tyler Kraft, Indianapolis Star, "Poor shooting dooms Fever in loss to Connecticut," 14 July 2019 Long ago, before billionaires created an impenetrable wall that now prevents access to the beach, the Lofthus was an easy shipwreck to explore. John Christopher Fine, sun-sentinel.com, "Boynton Beach’s maritime past lives on with Lofthus shipwreck," 21 June 2019

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

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First Known Use of impenetrable

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for impenetrable

Middle English impenetrabel, from Middle French impenetrable, from Latin impenetrabilis, from in- + penetrabilis penetrable

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More Definitions for impenetrable

impenetrable

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of impenetrable

: impossible to pass or see through
: impossible to understand

impenetrable

adjective
im·​pen·​e·​tra·​ble | \ im-ˈpe-nÉ™-trÉ™-bÉ™l How to pronounce impenetrable (audio) \

Kids Definition of impenetrable

1 : impossible to pass through or see through impenetrable walls impenetrable darkness
2 : impossible to understand an impenetrable mystery

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