Dictionary

impervious en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ɪmˈpɝ.vi.əs/ (General-American)
• (US) audio
• /ɪmˈpɜːvi.əs/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Latin impervius (“that cannot be passed through”), from in- (“not”) + pervius (“letting things through”).

Meanings

1. Unaffected or unable to be affected by something.
   • Although the Celebrity was almost impervious to sarcasm, he was now beginning to exhibit visible signs of uneasiness, the consciousness dawning upon him that his eccentricity was not receiving the ovation it merited. 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
   • For the past decade there were two more or less universally acknowledged truths about digital advertising. First, the rapidly growing industry was largely impervious to the business cycle. 2022 September 18, “The $300bn Google-Meta advertising duopoly is under attack”, in The Economist, →ISSN:
   • The man was completely impervious to the deception we were trying.
2. Preventive of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable, particularly of water.
   • Although patchworked and sagging, the roof proved impervious to the weather.
   • The white faience façade, the glazed Doultonware Carrera marble, was made locally. And being glazed, it was impervious to London's sooty atmosphere, enabling easier cleaning. 2023 December 13, Robin Leleux, “Restored... and a richly deserved award: Findlater's Corner”, in RAIL, number 998, page 43:
3. Immune to damage or effect.
   • The old car seemed to be impervious to the wear and tear of age.

Forms

Antonyms

pervious

Deriveds

imperviously · imperviousness · impervium

Translations (80)

ro insensibil (immune to damage or effect) · fi läpipääsemätön (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · ca immune (immune to damage or effect) · es impenetrable (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · es impermeable (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · es insensible (immune to damage or effect) · pt impérvio (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · ro insensibil (unaffected or unable to be affected by something) · mi pītongatonga (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · ca impenetrable (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · uk непрони́кливий (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · nn ugjennomtrengjeleg (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · bg неуязвим (unaffected or unable to be affected by something) · nb ugjennomtrengelig (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · ro impenetrabil (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · pt impérvio (immune to damage or effect) · fr insensible (immune to damage or effect) · tr etkilenmez (unaffected or unable to be affected by something) · uk несприйня́тливий (unaffected or unable to be affected by something) · cmn 无动于衷 (unaffected or unable to be affected by something) · ru невосприи́мчивый (unaffected or unable to be affected by something) · nl ongevoelig (immune to damage or effect) · ro indiferent (unaffected or unable to be affected by something) · nl ondoordringbaar (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · cmn 不受影响的 (unaffected or unable to be affected by something) · ca invulnerable (immune to damage or effect) · ja 鉄壁の (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · nl onkwetsbaar (immune to damage or effect) · fi vastaanottamaton (unaffected or unable to be affected by something) · de undurchdringbar (immune to damage or effect) · fi vahingoittumaton (immune to damage or effect) · pl odporny (immune to damage or effect) · uk невразли́вий (immune to damage or effect) · fi läpäisemätön (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · ro impermeabil (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · es impervio (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · pl obojętny (immune to damage or effect) · de unempfindlich (unaffected or unable to be affected by something) · pl nieprzenikliwy (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · pt impenetrável (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · es impervio (unaffected or unable to be affected by something) · ru неуязви́мый (immune to damage or effect) · hu ellenálló (immune to damage or effect) · de gleichgültig (unaffected or unable to be affected by something) · uk несприйня́тливий (immune to damage or effect) · da uigennemtrængelig (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · ca immune (unaffected or unable to be affected by something) · nl ongevoelig (unaffected or unable to be affected by something) · fr insensible (unaffected or unable to be affected by something) · uk непроникни́й (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · nl ondoorlaatbaar (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · pl nieczuły (immune to damage or effect) · de undurchlässig (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · es invulnerable (immune to damage or effect) · es inmune (unaffected or unable to be affected by something) · es impervio (immune to damage or effect) · tr geçirmez (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · fr imperméable (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · nn ugjennomtrengeleg (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · it impermeabile (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · pt impérvio (unaffected or unable to be affected by something) · ru невосприи́мчивый (immune to damage or effect) · ru непроница́емый (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · hu megingathatatlan (unaffected or unable to be affected by something) · fr impénétrable (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · nl onvatbaar (unaffected or unable to be affected by something) · de undurchdringlich (immune to damage or effect) · uk невразли́вий (unaffected or unable to be affected by something) · ru неуязви́мый (unaffected or unable to be affected by something) · pl nieprzepuszczalny (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · ru непроница́емый (unaffected or unable to be affected by something) · tr dayanıklı (immune to damage or effect) · tr su geçirmez (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · ca impermeable (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · bg неуязвим (immune to damage or effect) · fr immunisé (unaffected or unable to be affected by something) · bg непроницаем (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · hu áthatolhatatlan (preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable) · fr intouchable (immune to damage or effect) · pl obojętny (unaffected or unable to be affected by something)