Impervious Meaning
/ɪmˈpɜːvi.əs/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjUnaffected or unable to be affected by something.
adjPreventive of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable, particularly of water.
Sentence Examples
Galoshes are impervious to water.
He is impervious to reason.
Don't bother arguing with it; humans are impervious to logic.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The new raincoat is made of a special material that is ____ to water.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The high-tech surface of the new pan is ____ to scratches, even when used with metal tools.
Word Origin & History
From Latin impervius (“that cannot be passed through”), from in- (“not”) + pervius (“letting things through”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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 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:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The new raincoat is made of a special material that is ____ to water.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The high-tech surface of the new pan is ____ to scratches, even when used with metal tools.