Word of the Day

: December 28, 2019

impervious

adjective im-PER-vee-us

What It Means

1 a : not allowing entrance or passage : impenetrable  

b : not capable of being damaged or harmed

2 : not capable of being affected or disturbed

impervious in Context

"Because porcelain is impervious to water, stains and temperature changes, it's a durable and practical choice for high-traffic areas." — Michelle Brunner, The Washington Post, 14 Oct. 2019

"I happen to love long trips.… No one could be more excited than I am about the chance to sit for an extended stretch of time, Wi-Fi-less, in business class with access to dozens of movies and TV shows that you would never pay to watch at home. I am impervious to jet lag! Sleep is for losers." — Sarah Lyall, The New York Times, 13 Nov. 2019

Did You Know?

The English language is far from impervious, and, of course, a great many Latinate terms have entered it throughout its history. Impervious is one of the many that broke through in the 17th century. It comes from the Latin impervius, which adds the prefix im- to pervius, meaning "passable" or "penetrable." Pervius—which is also the source of the relatively uncommon English word pervious, meaning "accessible" or "permeable"—comes from per-, meaning "through," and via, meaning "way."