impalpable

American  

[im-pal-puh-buhl] / ɪmˈpæl pə bəl /

adjective

1. not palpable; incapable of being perceived by the sense of touch; intangible.

2. difficult for the mind to grasp readily or easily.

   impalpable distinctions.

3. (of powder) so fine that when rubbed between the fingers no grit is felt.

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impalpable British  

/ ɪmˈpælpəbəl /

adjective

1. imperceptible, esp to the touch

   impalpable shadows

2. difficult to understand; abstruse

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Other Word Forms

• impalpability
  noun
• impalpably
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of impalpable

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

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.

Example Sentences

Impalpable ministers of safety and service hover about the master of the Minnewaska.

From Time Magazine Archive

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

We meet them at the doorway, 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 Haunted Hour An Anthology by Widdemer, Margaret

Impalpable charm of back streets In which I find myself: Cool spaces filled with shadow.

From Some Imagist Poets An Anthology by Aldington, Richard

Impalpable black dust far-borne from Dakota covered the inner sills of the closed windows.

From Main Street by Lewis, Sinclair