impervious
not permitting penetration or passage; impenetrable: The coat is impervious to rain.
incapable of being injured or impaired: impervious to wear and tear.
incapable of being influenced, persuaded, or affected: impervious to reason; impervious to another's suffering.
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Origin of impervious
1- Also im·per·vi·a·ble [im-pur-vee-uh-buhl]. /ɪmˈpɜr vi ə bəl/.
Other words for impervious
Other words from impervious
- im·per·vi·ous·ly, adverb
- im·per·vi·ous·ness, noun
Words that may be confused with impervious
- impermeable, impervious
Words Nearby impervious
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use impervious in a sentence
UV light is one cause of this breakdown, but merino wool offers natural UV protection, so your garment is more impervious to sun damage and will remain in like-new condition a lot longer.
As more and more ground gets covered with “impervious surfaces” like asphalt roads and concrete roofs, rain has fewer and fewer ways to soak into the earth.
Tennessee floods show a pressing climate danger across America: ‘Walls of water’ | Sarah Kaplan | August 24, 2021 | Washington PostThe minimum requirements at BSL-3 would be an N95 mask, eye protection, gloves, and a lab coat, but we actually wear impervious Tyvek suits, aprons, and booties and are double-gloved.
“We never created a supervirus.” Ralph Baric explains gain-of-function research. | Rowan Jacobsen | July 26, 2021 | MIT Technology ReviewUrban centers are more prone to flooding than other areas because streets, parking lots, and buildings are impervious, meaning water can’t seep into the ground the way it would in a forest or grassland.
It’s not allowed because concrete creates an impervious wall, meaning a wave’s energy slams against the revetment all at once instead of breaking up among the nooks and crannies of a more natural structure.
Oceanside Seawall Dispute Hints at Looming Decisions Over Sea-Level Rise | MacKenzie Elmer | June 17, 2021 | Voice of San Diego
British Dictionary definitions for impervious
imperviable
/ (ɪmˈpɜːvɪəs) /
not able to be penetrated, as by water, light, etc; impermeable
(often postpositive foll by to) not able to be influenced (by) or not receptive (to): impervious to argument
Derived forms of impervious
- imperviously, adverb
- imperviousness, noun
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
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