impinge
Americanverb (used without object)
-
impinges,
present (3rd person singular)
-
impinged,
past participle, past
-
impinging
present participle
-
to make an impression; have an effect or impact (usually followed by on orupon ).
to impinge upon the imagination; social pressures that impinge upon one's daily life.
-
to encroach; infringe (usually followed by on orupon ).
to impinge on another's rights.
-
to strike; dash; collide (usually followed by on, upon, oragainst ).
rays of light impinging on the eye.
verb (used with object)
-
impinges,
present (3rd person singular)
-
impinged,
past participle, past
-
impinging
present participle
verb
-
(intr; usually foll by on or upon) to encroach or infringe; trespass
to impinge on someone's time
-
(intr; usually foll by on, against, or upon) to collide (with); strike
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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impingesimple
-
impingessimple
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have impingedperfect
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has impingedperfect
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am impingingprogressive
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are impingingprogressive
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is impingingprogressive
-
have been impingingperfect progressive
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has been impingingperfect progressive
Past
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impingedsimple
-
had impingedperfect
-
was impingingprogressive
-
were impingingprogressive
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had been impingingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of impinge
First recorded in 1525–35; from Medieval Latin impingere “to strike against, drive at,” equivalent to Latin im- prefix meaning “in” ( see im- 1) + -pingere, combining form of pangere “to fasten, drive in, fix”; see impact
Explanation
Whether you have a habit of standing too close when talking to others or bringing luggage on a crowded rush-hour subway car, you'll find people don't like it when you impinge on their personal space. When you impinge, you intrude on something, whether it’s someone else’s space, time, or rights. Think of it as moving in on someone’s territory. The word also can be used in the sense of affecting something, usually negatively, often by restricting it. For example, constantly inviting your friend to go shopping and meet you in nice restaurants might impinge on her desire to save money.
Vocabulary lists containing impinge
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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.
See Examples For:
The 1951 treaty allowed the U.S. military almost unlimited permission to operate there, as long as it didn’t impinge on Danish sovereignty or freedom of movement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Nor does it impinge on the States’ authority ‘to create and enforce a legal code’ for elections.’”
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026
It states that it does not impinge on constitutionally protected rights to express political, academic or ideological disagreements.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
Analogous to the U.S. situation, some leading voices in Chinese tech are telling the government that tighter measures would slow down AI development in China and ultimately impinge on its growth potential.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
In general, my interest was in how the lives of the two species impinge upon each other in Mesa Verde.
From Comparative Ecology of Pinyon Mice and Deer Mice in Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado by Charles L. Douglas
Players will also flow into some clubs in a similar fashion, I'm sure, and I'm afraid all of this impinges on managers and coaches from this country, who are not part of that network.
From BBC ● Apr. 3, 2026
"India takes such inputs seriously since it impinges on our own national security interests as well," he said.
From Reuters ● Nov. 22, 2023
He also argues the new consultation requirement impinges on academic freedom.
From Science Magazine ● Oct. 18, 2023
“Attacking the way we eat impinges on our privacy and that is very serious,” Gutmann said as she busied herself in the kitchen of their Paris home.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 15, 2022
The shaft is made integrally with this gear and has an eccentric portion against which the air pump roll plunger impinges.
From Aviation Engines Design?Construction?Operation and Repair by Victor Wilfred Pag?
Brusuelas says the economy likely won’t be impinged so long as oil stays below $125 a barrel.
From Barron's ● Mar. 5, 2026
Judges in those cases said the new statutes most likely impinged on social media companies’ free speech rights to distribute information as well as young people’s rights to have access to it.
From New York Times ● Feb. 23, 2024
Baez was determined that the documentary represent “an honest legacy,” both the heights of her 1960s-era activism, as well as the “wrinkles” that impinged upon her personal journey.
From Salon ● Oct. 8, 2023
The disappearance of China's defence minister heightened uncertainty about President Xi Jinping's stance towards international engagement, worker strikes impinged on global production and the spectre of a U.S. government shutdown returned.
From Reuters ● Sep. 18, 2023
A feeling that I was forgetting something impinged on my too- rare happiness.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
“Magnificent Seven” stocks are impinging on investors’ returns, according to Citigroup — and it’s triggered the fourth-worst day for momentum stocks in 22 years.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026
However, to allow the declaration element of Massa's case to proceed "comes too close in my view to impinging on the right of the FIA to govern its own affairs", the judge said.
From BBC ● Nov. 20, 2025
"I don't think that's impinging on anybody's First Amendment rights to protect my staff."
From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2023
They carefully scraped away harmful algae and predators impinging on staghorn fragments, under the supervision and training of interns from Islamorada Conservation and Restoration Education, or I.CARE.
From Scientific American ● Aug. 20, 2023
Natural uranium’s fission cross section—that is, the probability that the nucleus would fission under given circumstances—was highly sensitive to the energy of the impinging neutrons.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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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.
