Standard Lemma guide

imperceptible

adj · noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IH2 M P ER0 S EH1 P T IH0 B AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Not perceptible, not detectable, too small in magnitude to be observed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • We all missed the imperceptible shake of his head as he tried to warn us without being seen.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: imperceivable, undistinguishable, unperceivable

Antonyms: detectable, perceptible

2

adj

Meaning 2

Beyond the purview of man; too great and all-encompassing to be perceived.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cosmic

Antonyms: perceptible

3

noun

Meaning 3

Something that is imperceptible.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective

Meaning 4

impossible or difficult to perceive by the mind or senses

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an imperceptible drop in temperature
  • an imperceptible nod
  • color is unperceivable to the touch

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unperceivable

Antonyms: perceptible

History

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English imperceptible, from Middle French imperceptible and its etymon Medieval Latin imperceptibilis. By surface analysis, im- + perceptible.

Across languages

Translations

23 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: непрыкме́тны (njeprykmjétny) — not perceptible
  • Bulgarian: неусетен (neuseten) — not perceptible
  • Catalan: imperceptible — not perceptible
  • Chinese Cantonese: 不可察覺嘅 /不可察觉嘅 (bat1 ho2 caat3 gok3 ge3) — not perceptible
  • Dutch: onwaarneembaar — not perceptible
  • Dutch: onzichtbaar — not perceptible
  • Dutch: onmerkbaar — not perceptible
  • Finnish: vaikea aistia — not perceptible
  • Finnish: huomaamaton — not perceptible
  • French: imperceptible — not perceptible
  • French: inapercevable — not perceptible
  • German: unmerklich — not perceptible
  • Greek: ανεπαίσθητος (anepaísthitos) — not perceptible
  • Hindi: अगोचर (agocar) — not perceptible
  • Manx: neuvaghtal — not perceptible
  • Polish: niewyczuwalny — not perceptible
  • Portuguese: impercetível — not perceptible
  • Portuguese: imperceptível — not perceptible
  • Russian: неощути́мый (neoščutímyj) — not perceptible
  • Russian: незаме́тный (nezamétnyj) — not perceptible
  • Spanish: imperceptible — not perceptible
  • Ottoman Turkish: بللیسز (bellisiz) — not perceptible
  • Ukrainian: непримі́тний (neprymítnyj) — not perceptible