impalpable

[ im-pal-puh-buhl ]
See synonyms for: impalpableimpalpably on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. not palpable; incapable of being perceived by the sense of touch; intangible.

  2. difficult for the mind to grasp readily or easily: impalpable distinctions.

  1. (of powder) so fine that when rubbed between the fingers no grit is felt.

Origin of impalpable

1
First recorded in 1500–10; im-2 + palpable

Other words from impalpable

  • im·pal·pa·bil·i·ty, noun
  • im·pal·pa·bly, adverb

Words Nearby impalpable

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use impalpable in a sentence

  • As an impalpable flake is the beginning of an avalanche, so an imprudence is often the prelude to a great crime.

    File No. 113 | Emile Gaboriau

British Dictionary definitions for impalpable

impalpable

/ (ɪmˈpælpəbəl) /


adjective
  1. imperceptible, esp to the touch: impalpable shadows

  2. difficult to understand; abstruse

Derived forms of impalpable

  • impalpability, noun
  • impalpably, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012