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impervious

adjective
im·​per·​vi·​ous | \ (ËŒ)im-ˈpÉ™r-vÄ“-É™s How to pronounce impervious (audio) \

Definition of impervious

1a : not allowing entrance or passage : impenetrable a coat impervious to rain
b : not capable of being damaged or harmed a carpet impervious to rough treatment
2 : not capable of being affected or disturbed impervious to criticism
Other Words from impervious Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about impervious

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Other Words from impervious

imperviously adverb
imperviousness noun

Synonyms & Antonyms for impervious

Synonyms

impenetrable, impermeable, tight

Antonyms

penetrable, permeable, pervious

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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."

Examples of impervious in a Sentence

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 … Berlin struck me, above all, as impervious to any political reactions whatever … — Stephen Spender, New York Times Magazine, 30 Oct.1977 the material for this coat is supposed to be impervious to rain the rain forest is impervious to all but the most dedicated explorers
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Recent Examples on the Web

 This area contains nearly 569 acres, 339.4 of which are impervious. — Erika Butler, baltimoresun.com, "651 uneven sidewalk joints in Bel Air to be fixed," 20 Aug. 2019 In the decades since, the accidents and disasters that have claimed the lives of so many of their offspring show that no family — even the privileged and powerful — is impervious to misfortune, said Taraborrelli. — NBC News, "American tragedies with enduring fascination: Why the Kennedys still resonate," 3 Aug. 2019 The Black Lives Matter narrative has been impervious to the truth, however. — Heather Mac Donald, National Review, "There Is No Epidemic of Racist Police Shootings," 31 July 2019 Being the head of government — or indeed, Queen — does not make one impervious to that most familiar of British fun-spoilers guaranteed to literally dampen the mood: the weather. — Graham Smith, Time, "Harry and Meghan's Wedding Is a Reminder That Britain Doesn't Need the Royals," 18 May 2018 The more impervious surface, the higher the fee, Burke representatives told city officials. — Jennifer Johnson, chicagotribune.com, "The quest for flood relief: Park Ridge aldermen resume talks on flooding, support for stormwater utility fee," 16 Apr. 2018 And anything in the watershed could end up in the river – especially because of the massive amount of impervious surfaces, from roads to buildings, that sends rain rushing into storm sewers. — Laura Johnston, cleveland.com, "How you can help clean the future of the Cuyahoga River: Cuyahoga50," 18 June 2019 That alone doesn't suggest to us that the C8 is impervious to aftermarket tuning efforts—only that the C8 is, well, like any other modern vehicle. — Alexander Stoklosa, Car and Driver, "The 2020 Chevrolet C8 Corvette's Engine Computer is Tuner-Resistant? We Think Not," 30 May 2019 Nearly everybody plays multiple positions, leaving the Dodgers practically impervious to injuries. — Brian Costa, WSJ, "Red Sox, Dodgers Prove Money Still Matters in Baseball," 22 Oct. 2018

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.

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First Known Use of impervious

1640, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for impervious

Latin impervius, from in- + pervius pervious

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More Definitions for impervious

impervious

adjective
How to pronounce impervious (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of impervious

technical : not allowing something (such as water or light) to enter or pass through
formal : not bothered or affected by something

See the full definition for impervious in the English Language Learners Dictionary

impervious

adjective
im·​per·​vi·​ous | \ im-ˈpÉ™r-vÄ“-É™s How to pronounce impervious (audio) \

Kids Definition of impervious

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.

impervious

adjective
im·​per·​vi·​ous | \ (ˈ)im-ˈpÉ™r-vÄ“-É™s How to pronounce impervious (audio) \

Medical Definition of impervious

: not allowing entrance or passage medication packaged in a container impervious to air and light

Other Words from impervious

imperviousness noun

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More from Merriam-Webster on impervious

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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