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GRE vocabulary

impervious

adjectiveHigh-frequency wordMore I words

not capable of being affected or penetrated

Word origin: From Latin in-, not, plus pervius, passable, from per, through, plus via, way.

In a sentence

Impervious in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing impervious in a sentence.

He seemed impervious to criticism, brushing off every harsh review.

He seemed impervious to criticism, unmoved by even the harshest reviews.

Synonyms
Antonyms
vulnerablesusceptible
Usage & nuance

Using “impervious” well

Impervious means not able to be penetrated or affected, used both physically and figuratively. The figurative sense, as in impervious to insult, is the one the GRE most often tests.

Common questions

Questions about “impervious

Impervious (adjective) means not capable of being affected or penetrated
Here is impervious used in an example sentence: "He seemed impervious to criticism, brushing off every harsh review." Another example: "He seemed impervious to criticism, unmoved by even the harshest reviews."
Common synonyms for impervious include impenetrable, resistant, immune, impermeable.
Antonyms of impervious include vulnerable, susceptible.
Clusters with impenetrable, resistant, and immune, opposed by vulnerable and susceptible. Distinguish it from impermeable, which stays literal, and watch the construction impervious to.
Yes. Impervious is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

Learn words the way the GRE tests them.

Vocabulary sticks when you meet it in real sentences. Practise these words inside text completion and sentence equivalence questions.