impalpable
Americanadjective
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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.
adjective
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imperceptible, esp to the touch
impalpable shadows
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difficult to understand; abstruse
Other Word 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.
Is it matter, a physical thing, or is it more like energy, something impalpable?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Through their lenses, we see different visions of the artist in his studio, surrounded by his attempts to capture something solid but impalpable about humanity.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 19, 2022
The smell and taste of things, Proust wrote, hold in the “tiny and almost impalpable drop of their essence the vast structure of recollection.”
From New York Times ● Jan. 19, 2021
I had been pushed and pulled by the dominant forces of that place, some impalpable and some visible, as it formed and forced me into the imperfect person who eventually became a mother.
From Salon ● May 2, 2020
When there was a blizzard, needles of icy air blew in through the vents, elaborately protected as they were, and an impalpable dust of snow-motes fogged the air.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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.
