impasse

[im-pas, im-pas]

noun

1. a position or situation from which there is no escape; deadlock.

   Synonyms: dead end, standoff, standstill, stalemate

2. a road or way that has no outlet; cul-de-sac.

impasse

/ ˈæmpɑːs, ɪmˈpɑːs, æmˈpɑːs, ˈɪmpɑːs /

noun

1. a situation in which progress is blocked; an insurmountable difficulty; stalemate; deadlock

Word History and Origins

Origin of impasse¹

1850–55; < French, equivalent to im- im- ² + -passe, stem of passer to pass

Word History and Origins

Origin of impasse¹

C19: from French; see _im- , _pass

Example Sentences

It may have been the first time they had reached such an impasse.

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Jurors deliberated for three days, first indicating they might be at an impasse Monday morning.

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Air-traffic controllers, classified as essential personnel, were expected to work through the funding impasse, with paychecks deferred until the end of the shutdown.

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Over the past six weeks, a drought of government economic statistics during the federal-spending impasse has further obscured the path forward.

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Canberra and Ankara are under pressure to break the impasse and avoid a scene in Belem, where Brazil is desperate to show that climate diplomacy still works.

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Related Words

• deadlock 
• dilemma 
• gridlock 
• predicament 
• standoff 
• standstill