impervious

Also im·per·vi·a·ble

[im-pur-vee-uhs]

adjective

1. not permitting penetration or passage; impenetrable.

   The coat is impervious to rain.

2. incapable of being injured or impaired.

   impervious to wear and tear.

3. incapable of being influenced, persuaded, or affected.

   impervious to reason; impervious to another's suffering.

   Synonyms: closed, invulnerable

impervious

/ ɪmˈpɜːvɪəs /

adjective

1. not able to be penetrated, as by water, light, etc; impermeable

2. not able to be influenced (by) or not receptive (to)

   impervious to argument

Other Word Forms

• imperviously adverb
• imperviousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of impervious¹

From the Latin word impervius, dating back to 1640–50. See im- ², pervious

Example Sentences

But ferocious fire in recent years, fueled by climate change, has proved fatal to the trees experts once thought were impervious to flame.

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Unfortunately, the Dodgers are not impervious to injury issues.

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Hogan’s gimmick of “hulking up” via crowd energy to become impervious to pain would help the 6’8 Bollea bring matches to a Hollywood ending that didn’t rely on technical wrestling ability.

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In other words, even when hit by a blue wave in a purple state, these GOP maps were impervious to the dummymander.

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Despite a handful of notable television showings — may we never forget Tom Welling’s “Smallville” heartthrob status — Superman as a character has been fittingly impervious.

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Related Words

• immune 
• impassable 
• impenetrable 
• inaccessible 
• invulnerable 
• resistant 
• unaffected 
• unmoved