impervious

American  

[im-pur-vee-uhs] / ɪmˈpɜr vi əs /

Also imperviable

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

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impervious British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

• imperviously adverb
• imperviousness noun

Etymology

Origin of impervious

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

Compare meaning

How does impervious compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• pervious vs. impervious

Example Sentences

Oil giants now have a bigger share of crude production in their hands and are largely impervious to price swings, ensuring a steady output.

From The Wall Street Journal

I confess I’m not impervious to the posthumous allure.

From Los Angeles Times

Just a random mix of letters, impervious to attack by any known strategy.

From Literature

While investors are shrugging off “volatile policy headlines” on expectations for earnings and economic growth, “neither are impervious,” Essaye cautioned.

From MarketWatch

In fact, Roger Pielke, a longtime climate scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, notes U.S. emissions have been remarkably impervious to presidential terms: relative to economic output, they have declined steadily for decades.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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