1
as in dense
impossible to get through or into
the ancient temple was surrounded by vast stretches of impenetrable jungle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mysterious
being beyond one's powers to know, understand, or explain
the mysteries of that religion are completely impenetrable to outsiders
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in incomprehensible
impossible to understand
the textbook's language is completely impenetrable, at least to me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples 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
With speculators and short sellers focused on technical indicators, the seemingly impenetrable $50 level was an easy read.
—
John S. Tobey, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
Will this tour win over new fans to Soul Coughing’s sometimes impenetrable music?
—Jeff Miller, Variety, 12 Sep. 2024
Just as Lewis’s beloved book found humanity in seemingly impenetrable data, so too does Chris Mark’s lifelong quest become as riveting as a rescue mission.
—Peter Rubin, Longreads, 6 Sep. 2024
In January 1915, their ship, the Endurance, became trapped in the thick, impenetrable ice of the Weddell Sea.
—Tony Bradley, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for impenetrable 
John S. Tobey, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
Will this tour win over new fans to Soul Coughing’s sometimes impenetrable music?
—Jeff Miller, Variety, 12 Sep. 2024
Just as Lewis’s beloved book found humanity in seemingly impenetrable data, so too does Chris Mark’s lifelong quest become as riveting as a rescue mission.
—Peter Rubin, Longreads, 6 Sep. 2024
In January 1915, their ship, the Endurance, became trapped in the thick, impenetrable ice of the Weddell Sea.
—Tony Bradley, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for impenetrable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impenetrable
Adjective
-
States with less dense populations tend to have less traffic, and people in rural communities often live closer to their jobs than those commuting to a city or taking an hourlong subway ride to work, Search Logistics found.Ben Kesslen, Quartz, 18 Nov. 2024
-
In the app, the Wildfire Smoke Layer shows where smoke from those fires drifts and how dense that smoke is.Kristin Shaw, Popular Science, 14 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Some of the rooms Coster investigates in Season 1 are truly horrifying, categorized by unwashed clothes and sheets and mysterious liquids.Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 21 Nov. 2024
-
The film is Paolo Sorrentino’s love letter to Naples — his second, following 2021’s The Hand of God — and Parthenope, a mysterious, irresistible beauty, is the stand-in for the enigmatic pull the city has over him.Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
The rest of the world finds this arrangement incomprehensible.Joseph J. Ellis, The Mercury News, 31 Oct. 2024
-
Trump’s speeches at rallies, especially of late, are rambling to the point of being incomprehensible.Richard Behar, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
The company’s markets wagered correctly and controversially in Donald Trump’s favor in bets on who would win the presidential election, even though opinion polls showed a tight race.Sophia Pargas, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
-
Incumbent Leonel Talavera and her opponent, Vanesa Estrella, are locked in a tight race for Area 5.Alexcia Negrete, Orange County Register, 9 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Its silicon balance spring is designed to maintain performance reliability, remaining impervious to magnetic fields and temperature variations.Bhanu Chopra, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2024
-
The superfluid still rubs against the bucket, but the material is totally impervious to friction until the container reaches a certain rotational speed.Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Because what Ken was doing at first was really all vibes: the all-black dress code, the grungy photography, the cryptic social media presence.Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 4 Nov. 2024
-
Both artists also dropped cryptic videos from Sydney’s iconic Luna Park before the performance.Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 21 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
Clinical notes are now legible and easy to retrieve but often bloated with unnecessary, duplicative, and, at times, unintelligible content.Spencer Dorn, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
-
Ensure that all content stored and transmitted is encrypted, which means that the data remains unintelligible to unauthorized parties even if it is intercepted.Kris Lahiri, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
Therefore, don’t be surprised to see bucks bedding right on the edge of thick cover within some of the areas noted above.Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 22 Nov. 2024
-
In almost any Auerbach oil painting, early or late, rawness is thick on the ground.Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near impenetrable
Cite this Entry
“Impenetrable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impenetrable. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share