The mountain pass became impassable due to heavy snow.Thick mud turned the rural road into an impassable path.Floodwaters rendered the bridge completely impassable.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Impassible
/æmˈpɑːs/
Unable to be influenced or affected by pain or emotion.
Examples:
His face was impassible, betraying no emotion.The judge remained impassible throughout the trial.Despite the chaos, she stayed impassible and calm.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Ways to tell them apart:
Impassable refers to something that cannot be passed or traveled through, like a blocked road.
Impassible is used to describe a state of being emotionless or not affected by pain.
Remember that impassable ends with -able, just like passable things, but with a negation, so it's about passage.
Impassible shares the root with passion, as it originally related to not feeling pain or suffering.
Think of impassable with a roadblock image in mind and impassible with a stoic face.