impenetrable

adjective

(ˌ)im-ˈpe-nə-trə-bəl How to pronounce impenetrable (audio)
Definition of impenetrablenext
1
as in dense
impossible to get through or into the ancient temple was surrounded by vast stretches of impenetrable jungle

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2
as in mysterious
being beyond one's powers to know, understand, or explain the mysteries of that religion are completely impenetrable to outsiders

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3
as in incomprehensible
impossible to understand the textbook's language is completely impenetrable, at least to me

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4
as in tight
not allowing penetration (as by gas, liquid, or light) the container of toxic waste has an impenetrable seal to prevent leaks

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of impenetrable Courtside, before a battle, Osaka’s deep colorways and the many translucent but somehow impenetrable layers of the vast floor-dragging skirt work as armor inspiring stone-cold dread in all prospective opponents. — Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026 Quaintance, in particular, is potentially a monster on defense, and uniting him with Wembanyama might make this team virtually impenetrable. — John Hollinger, New York Times, 25 June 2026 In spite of D'Arcy's best efforts, Rhaenyra is an impenetrable character with illogical choices and zero magnetism to the viewers (or seemingly, her councilors). — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 21 June 2026 The Shiatsung Project In a bungalow surrounded by an impenetrable wall, a woman has been raised in isolation by a talking screen mounted on the living room wall, fullfilling her every wish without ever revealing the reasons for its life and existence. — Kevin Giraud, Variety, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for impenetrable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impenetrable
  1. dense
  2. mysterious
  3. incomprehensible
  4. tight
  5. impervious
  6. cryptic
  7. unintelligible
  8. impermeable
Adjective
  • Videos of the pyrotechnics display show the pitch filling with tall showers of sparks and dense smoke as dozens of fireworks launched upward.
    — Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
  • The rare Saturday night game at the iconic North Side ballpark started an hour late due to rain, then fog billowed in from the north starting in the second inning and got denser.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
Definition of dense
Adjective
  • Beulah's spurned heir Joaquin (Juan Pablo Raba) calls up the mysterious Mariana (Raoul Max Trujillo) to help with his many problems, which include his ranch-usurping half-brother Rob-Will and those Duttons from Montana.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • Nicolas Winding Refn’s audacious return to feature filmmaking is a gorgeous, mysterious act of cinema, sensorial and transgressive, that demands to be experienced on its own terms.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 2 July 2026
Definition of mysterious
Adjective
  • There have been times when acts of atrocity have been going on — and gosh, some of those things are incomprehensible — yet humanity has found a way.
    — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 27 June 2026
  • Being joyful there — in the Dominican Republic, where small shacks and houses pieced together by junkyard scraps sometimes hold families with over a dozen members — seems incomprehensible.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 25 June 2026
Definition of incomprehensible
Adjective
  • In a massive joint operation, US Central Command – with tight coordination from US Strategic Command, US Space Command, and the US Space Force – used electromagnetic warfare to blank out a massive area over Iran.
    — David Szondy July 06, New Atlas, 7 July 2026
  • In major competitions since Euro 1984 (including the UEFA Nations League), the contests have been tight affairs that have been decided by one goal or penalties.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
Definition of tight
Adjective
  • Overloading Your Washer Even the softest of towels are not impervious to improper laundering, and overloading your washer or using too little water can affect how thoroughly the towels are washed.
    — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 30 June 2026
  • Crafted from durable high-density polyethylene, these Adirondack chairs are resistant to corrosion and impervious to the elements.
    — Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 25 June 2026
Definition of impervious
Adjective
  • It was filled with brackets and parentheticals, written in different fonts and colors, much of it in capital letters, at once detailed and cryptic.
    — Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 30 June 2026
  • His doctors speculated his infection might have been a rare case of cryptic transmission from sharing meals and bathrooms with his coworkers, one of whom apparently had a tapeworm infection.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 26 June 2026
Definition of cryptic
Adjective
  • The world premiere on Sunday – in the presence of Illumination boss Chris Meledandri and director Pierre Coffin, who is also the origin of the minions’ unintelligible chatter – kicks off one of the biggest Annecy Film Festival’s yet.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 19 June 2026
  • The adversaries made for a striking scene, exchanging insults in mutually unintelligible languages in the dead of night.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 June 2026
Definition of unintelligible
Adjective
  • Chocolate brown stripes punctuate a light charcoal gray background, and the low-pile weave made from recycled polyester gives it an impermeable, easy-to-clean surface.
    — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 26 June 2026
  • Needing to remain impermeable to everything that is said about him is another stylistic exercise built into the equation of being a global star.
    — TIME, Time, 26 June 2026
Definition of impermeable

Browse Nearby Words

impenetrability
impenetrable
impenitence
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Cite this Entry

“Impenetrable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impenetrable. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of impenetrable for Spanish Speakers

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