impassable

adjective

im·​pass·​able (ˌ)im-ˈpa-sə-bəl 

variants or less commonly impassible

: incapable of being passed, traveled, crossed, or surmounted

impassability

(ˌ)im-ˌpa-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

impassableness

(ˌ)im-ˈpa-sə-bəl-nəs 

noun

impassably

(ˌ)im-ˈpa-sə-blē 

adverb

Synonyms

• impenetrable
• impermeable
• impervious
• impregnable

Examples of impassable in a Sentence

The roads were made impassable by the flood.

the road was impassable until snowplows cleared it

Recent Examples on the Web

These conditions could lead to treacherous travel, with roads becoming impassable in hilly or mountainous areas. —Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025

Thicker layers of ice can cause power outages and make roads impassable. —Mansee Khurana, NPR, 4 Jan. 2025

The Darién Gap, a thick swath of jungle between Panama and Colombia, long considered impassable, became a migrant corridor—a million people crossed through it between 2021 and 2024, more than ten times as many as during the decade before. —Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2024

The Bills also were unable to practice Thursday because a winter storm made roads around Orchard Park impassable. —Tim Graham, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1562, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

impassable

adjective

im·​pass·​able (ˈ)im-ˈpas-ə-bəl 

: impossible to pass, cross, or travel over

roads made impassable by the hurricane

impassability

(ˌ)im-ˌpas-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun