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impasse

 [im-pas, im-pas]   Origin

im·passe

   [im-pas, im-pas]
noun
1.
a position or situation from which there is no escape; deadlock.
2.
a road or way that has no outlet; cul-de-sac.
Origin:
1850–55; < French, equivalent to im- im-2 + -passe, stem of passer to pass

Synonyms
1. stalemate, standstill, standoff, dead end.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Impasse is an SAT word you need to know.
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making a harsh sound; having a shrill, irritating quality or character
secret agreement, esp. for fraudulent or treacherous purposes
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Collins
World English Dictionary
impasse (æmˈpɑːs, ˈæmpɑːs, ɪmˈpɑːs, ˈɪmpɑːs)
 
—n
a situation in which progress is blocked; an insurmountable difficulty; stalemate; deadlock
 
[C19: from French; see im-, pass]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

impasse
1851, from Fr. impasse "impassable road, blind alley, impasse," from in- "not" + M.Fr. passe "a passing," from passer "to pass." Supposedly coined by Voltaire as a euphemism for cul de sac.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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