impervious

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

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪmˈpɜːvi.əs/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɪmˈpɝ.vi.əs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)viəs

impervious (comparative more impervious, superlative most impervious)

1. Unaffected or unable to be affected by something.

   The man was completely impervious to the deception we were trying.

   • 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:

     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.

   • 2022 September 18, “The $300bn Google-Meta advertising duopoly is under attack”, in The Economist‎, →ISSN:

     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.

2. Preventive of any penetration; impenetrable, impermeable, particularly of water.

   Although patchworked and sagging, the roof proved impervious to the weather.

   • 2023 December 13, Robin Leleux, “Restored... and a richly deserved award: Findlater's Corner”, in RAIL, number 998, page 43:

     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.

3. Immune to damage or effect.

   The old car seemed to be impervious to the wear and tear of age.

• pervious

• imperviously
• imperviousness