impervious
Americanadjective
-
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.
- Synonyms:
- closed, invulnerable
adjective
-
not able to be penetrated, as by water, light, etc; impermeable
-
not able to be influenced (by) or not receptive (to)
impervious to argument
Other Word Forms
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:
Explanation
An impervious surface is one that can't be penetrated. The word is often followed by "to," as in "His steely personality made him impervious to jokes about his awful haircut." Most of the sentences you'll run across using impervious will be followed by the word "to" and a noun. Things are often described as being impervious to physical assaults like heat, water, bullets, weather, and attack, but just as frequently to less tangible things, like reason, criticism, pain, and pressure. The word comes from Latin: in- + pervius, meaning "not letting things through." A common synonym is impermeable.
Vocabulary lists containing impervious
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Lord of the Flies
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 4
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
It “addresses the effects of concrete, asphalt and other impervious surfaces that cover the urban landscape in these two watersheds, to protect water quality in the creeks, rivers and beaches downstream,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
Although she’s normally impervious to noise—even the most blood-curdling shriek from the many horror films we watch together can’t stir her—the sound of my voice emerging from her collar gave her pause.
From Slate ● Jun. 20, 2026
China also supplies drone parts to Ukraine, such as the fiber-optic cable used to make drones impervious to jamming.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
Recent raids may try to instill fear, but this special communal space feels impervious to such weak displays.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2026
Any other woman would have been delighted with all this and would have had her work cut out for her for months to come, but not Clara, who was impervious to these things.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
