adj · 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
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Received-Pronunciation:/ɪmˈpɜːvi.əs/
General-American:/ɪmˈpɝ.vi.əs/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)viəs
CMU ARPABET:IH2 M P ER1 V IY0 AH0 S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Unaffected or unable to be affected by something.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The man was completely impervious to the deception we were trying.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Preventive of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable, particularly of water.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Although patchworked and sagging, the roof proved impervious to the weather.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Immune to damage or effect.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The old car seemed to be impervious to the wear and tear of age.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective
Meaning 4
not admitting of passage or capable of being affected
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a material impervious to water
someone impervious to argument
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: imperviable
Antonyms: pervious
History
Etymology
From Latin impervius (“that cannot be passed through”), from in- (“not”) + pervius (“letting things through”).
Across languages
Translations
75 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
неуязвим
(neujazvim)
— unaffected or unable to be affected by something
Catalan:
immune
— unaffected or unable to be affected by something
Chinese Mandarin:
无动于衷
(wúdòngyúzhōng)
— unaffected or unable to be affected by something
Chinese Mandarin:
不受影响的
— unaffected or unable to be affected by something
Dutch:
onvatbaar
— unaffected or unable to be affected by something
Dutch:
ongevoelig
— unaffected or unable to be affected by something
French:
immunisé
— unaffected or unable to be affected by something
French:
insensible
— unaffected or unable to be affected by something
German:
gleichgültig
— unaffected or unable to be affected by something
German:
unempfindlich
— unaffected or unable to be affected by something
Hungarian:
megingathatatlan
— unaffected or unable to be affected by something
Polish:
obojętny
— unaffected or unable to be affected by something
Portuguese:
impérvio
— unaffected or unable to be affected by something
Romanian:
indiferent
— unaffected or unable to be affected by something
Romanian:
insensibil
— unaffected or unable to be affected by something
Russian:
непроница́емый
(nepronicájemyj)
— unaffected or unable to be affected by something
Russian:
невосприи́мчивый
(nevospriímčivyj)
— unaffected or unable to be affected by something
Russian:
неуязви́мый
(neujazvímyj)
— unaffected or unable to be affected by something
Spanish:
inmune
— unaffected or unable to be affected by something
Spanish:
impervio
— unaffected or unable to be affected by something
Turkish:
etkilenmez
— unaffected or unable to be affected by something
Ukrainian:
несприйня́тливий
(nespryjnjátlyvyj)
— unaffected or unable to be affected by something
Ukrainian:
невразли́вий
(nevrazlývyj)
— unaffected or unable to be affected by something
Bulgarian:
непроницаем
(nepronicaem)
— preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable
Catalan:
impenetrable
— preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable
Catalan:
impermeable
— preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable
Dutch:
ondoordringbaar
— preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable
Dutch:
ondoorlaatbaar
— preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable
French:
impénétrable
— preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable
French:
imperméable
— preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable
German:
undurchlässig
— preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable
Hungarian:
áthatolhatatlan
— preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable
Italian:
impermeabile
— preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable
Japanese:
鉄壁の
(teppeki no)
— preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable
Māori:
pītongatonga
— preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable
Norwegian Bokmål:
ugjennomtrengelig
— preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable
Norwegian Nynorsk:
ugjennomtrengeleg
— preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable
Norwegian Nynorsk:
ugjennomtrengjeleg
— preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable
Polish:
nieprzenikliwy
— preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable
Polish:
nieprzepuszczalny
— preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable
Portuguese:
impenetrável
— preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable
Portuguese:
impérvio
— preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable
Romanian:
impenetrabil
— preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable
Romanian:
impermeabil
— preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable
Russian:
непроница́емый
(nepronicájemyj)
— preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable
Spanish:
impenetrable
— preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable
Spanish:
impermeable
— preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable
Spanish:
impervio
— preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable
Turkish:
geçirmez
— preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable
Turkish:
su geçirmez
— preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable
Ukrainian:
непроникни́й
(nepronyknýj)
— preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable
Ukrainian:
непрони́кливий
(nepronýklyvyj)
— preventative of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable
Bulgarian:
неуязвим
(neujazvim)
— immune to damage or effect
Catalan:
immune
— immune to damage or effect
Catalan:
invulnerable
— immune to damage or effect
Dutch:
onkwetsbaar
— immune to damage or effect
Dutch:
ongevoelig
— immune to damage or effect
French:
intouchable
— immune to damage or effect
French:
insensible
— immune to damage or effect
German:
undurchdringlich
— immune to damage or effect
German:
undurchdringbar
— immune to damage or effect
Hungarian:
ellenálló
— immune to damage or effect
Polish:
odporny
— immune to damage or effect
Polish:
nieczuły
— immune to damage or effect
Polish:
obojętny
— immune to damage or effect
Portuguese:
impérvio
— immune to damage or effect
Romanian:
insensibil
— immune to damage or effect
Russian:
невосприи́мчивый
(nevospriímčivyj)
— immune to damage or effect
Russian:
неуязви́мый
(neujazvímyj)
— immune to damage or effect
Spanish:
insensible
— immune to damage or effect
Spanish:
invulnerable
— immune to damage or effect
Spanish:
impervio
— immune to damage or effect
Turkish:
dayanıklı
— immune to damage or effect
Ukrainian:
несприйня́тливий
(nespryjnjátlyvyj)
— immune to damage or effect
Ukrainian:
невразли́вий
(nevrazlývyj)
— immune to damage or effect
