Word: impervious (adjective)

Associations

The word "impervious" means that something cannot be affected, entered, or damaged by something else. It often describes things that do not allow liquids, feelings, or influences to pass through.

• "The raincoat is impervious to water." Here, it means water cannot pass through the raincoat.
• "She was impervious to criticism." This means she was not affected by what others said.
• "The walls are impervious to noise." That means noise cannot get through the walls.

A well-known synonym is "invulnerable," but "impervious" often relates to physical or emotional barriers, while "invulnerable" usually means impossible to harm or damage in general.

Substitution

You can replace "impervious" with:

• "unaffected" (for feelings or influence)
• "waterproof" (for liquids)
• "impenetrable" (for physical barriers)

Each substitution changes the meaning slightly. For example, "waterproof" is only about water, but "impervious" can be about many things.

Deconstruction

• Prefix: "im-" means "not" or "without."
• Root: "pervious" means "allowing passage." So, "impervious" literally means "not allowing passage."

The word comes from Latin "impervius," where "pervius" means "passable," and "im-" negates it.

Inquiry

• Can you think of something in your life that is impervious to change or influence?
• How would you describe a person who is impervious to sadness or anger?
• Can you find an object around you that is impervious to water or air? How do you know?