SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
impenetrable
adjective
Unable to be entered or passed through; also impossible to understand or interpret.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Impossible to understand
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topImpenetrable is emphatic; obscure material may become clear with further explanation.
Not allowing passage
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topDense or solid material can still allow penetration. Impenetrable says that passage is not possible; density and solidity only describe properties that may contribute to resistance.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See impenetrable in use
The author's impenetrable handwriting delayed the transcription.
An impenetrable wall blocked the pursuers' chosen street in the adventure draft, offering no opening through which they could continue directly.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license