impassable
/im'pɑ:tibl/
Definition
Adjective: 1. Incapable of being passed or traversed: Describes a route, path, or terrain that is completely blocked, making it impossible to travel through or over. 2. Impenetrable or insurmountable: Can describe a barrier or obstacle that cannot be overcome or crossed.
Usage
The word "impassable" is used to describe physical routes or conditions that prevent passage. It is often applied to roads, trails, rivers, or mountain passes.
Examples
- The heavy snowfall rendered the mountain road impassable for weeks.
- The river was swollen and impassable after the storm.
- The path was blocked by a landslide, making it completely impassable.
Advanced Usage
- Figurative Use: While primarily physical, it can be used figuratively to describe insurmountable abstract barriers, though this is less common.
- Example: An impassable divide separated their political views.
- "Made impassable": A common construction indicating the cause of the blockage.
- Example: The bridge was made impassable by the flood.
Variants and Related Words
- Impassability (noun): The state or quality of being impassable.
- Example: The impassability of the route forced us to turn back.
- Passable (adjective): The direct antonym, meaning capable of being passed or traversed.
Synonyms
- Impenetrable: Impossible to pass through or enter.
- Uncrossable: Not able to be crossed.
- Blocked: Obstructed, preventing passage.
Antonyms
- Passable: Able to be traveled on or through.
- Navigable: (For waterways) able to be sailed on.
- Clear: Free of obstruction.
Related Phrases
- Impassable barrier: A common collocation emphasizing a complete blockage.
- Example: The fallen tree created an impassable barrier on the trail.
- Rendered impassable: A formal phrase meaning made impossible to pass.
- Example: The construction zone rendered the street impassable.
Adjective
-
incapable of being passed
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