definitions

impalpable

[ im-pal-puh-buh l ]
/ ɪmˈpæl pə bəl /
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adjective

not palpable; incapable of being perceived by the sense of touch; intangible.
difficult for the mind to grasp readily or easily: impalpable distinctions.
(of powder) so fine that when rubbed between the fingers no grit is felt.

RELATED WORDS

airy, delicate, fine, imperceptible, incorporeal, indiscernible, indistinct, insensible, insubstantial, nebulous, shadowy, tenuous, thin, vague, disembodied, imponderable, inappreciable, imprecise, unapparent

Nearby words

impair, impaired, impairment, impala, impale, impalpable, impanation, impanel, impar, imparadise, imparipinnate

Origin of impalpable

First recorded in 1500–10; im-2 + palpable

Related forms

im·pal·pa·bil·i·ty, nounim·pal·pa·bly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for impalpable

British Dictionary definitions for impalpable

impalpable

/ (ɪmˈpælpəbəl) /

adjective

imperceptible, esp to the touchimpalpable shadows
difficult to understand; abstruse

Derived Forms

impalpability, nounimpalpably, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012