Skip to content

impassible

impassive

adjective ahn-pah-SEEB-luh Rare

Also means

unmoved

Usage Note

Impassible describes a person who shows no emotion, remaining outwardly calm or expressionless regardless of circumstances. It is invariable in form — the feminine is also impassible. Learners should not confuse it with English 'impossible'; the French for 'impossible' is impossible. A near-synonym is imperturbable (unflappable).

Examples

"Il restait impassible face aux critiques."

Natural Translation

He remained impassive in the face of criticism.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore French by topic