impalpable
Americanadjective
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not palpable; incapable of being perceived by the sense of touch; intangible.
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difficult for the mind to grasp readily or easily.
impalpable distinctions.
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(of powder) so fine that when rubbed between the fingers no grit is felt.
adjective
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imperceptible, esp to the touch
impalpable shadows
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difficult to understand; abstruse
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of impalpable
Explanation
Impalpable describes a feeling that, though real, you can’t logically explain. If you don't know why you love peanut butter and banana sandwiches so much, maybe your reasons are impalpable. If you’ve ever used the words “I can’t quite put my finger on it” to describe something that you have observed but can't really explain, then you already have a good idea of what impalpable means. Impalpable traces back to the Latin word palpabilis, meaning “that may be touched or felt.” Combine that with the prefix im-, and the word gets its meaning of something that can’t be perceived by normal senses.
Vocabulary lists containing impalpable
"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 8–13
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Dracula
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"Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte, Chapters 1–5
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Impalpable ministers of safety and service hover about the master of the Minnewaska.
From Time Magazine Archive
Impalpable black dust far-borne from Dakota covered the inner sills of the closed windows.
From Main Street by Lewis, Sinclair
And man is not, and ye may see afar, Impalpable as a rainbow on the clouds.
From The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction Volume 12, No. 338, November 1, 1828 by Various
A hectic hue is on my feverish cheek, And slowly throbs my pulse—but it will cease; And cease, too, will the visions instinct, Impalpable, and deep, that haunt my soul!
From The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction Volume 20, No. 564, September 1, 1832 by Various
We meet them at the door-way, on the stair, Along the passages they come and go, Impalpable impressions on the air, A sense of something moving to and fro.
From The Complete Poems of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow by Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
