impervious

Everyday

1. Not letting water, air or anything else pass through: an impervious material. tree →
2. Not affected or bothered by something: impervious to criticism, impervious to the cold. tree →

In the lessons

In science and geography, impervious (or impermeable) rocks and materials do not let water soak in: clay, plastic, concrete; this causes puddles and floods. In stories, a character impervious to teasing or danger is not hurt or moved by it. Phrases: impervious to water, impervious to pain, impervious to criticism, impervious surface.

Examples

• Plastic is impervious to water, so it makes a good raincoat. tree →
• Concrete roads are impervious, so rain runs off into drains. tree →
• We tested which materials were impervious in our science lesson. tree →
• She seemed impervious to the cold in just a T-shirt. tree →
• The superhero was impervious to bullets. tree →
• He was impervious to their teasing and just smiled. tree →

Note

Usually followed by «to»: «impervious to water». Similar: «impermeable», «waterproof». Opposite: «permeable», «porous». In real life no one is completely impervious to hurt; the word describes how it looks.