Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A road or passage having no exit; a cul-de-sac.
- n. A situation that is so difficult that no progress can be made; a deadlock or a stalemate: reached an impasse in the negotiations.
Wiktionary
- n. a road with no exit; a cul-de-sac
- n. a deadlock or stalemate situation in which no progress can be made
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. An impassable road or way; a blind alley; cul-de-sac; fig., a position or predicament affording no escape.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a street with only one way in or out
- n. a situation in which no progress can be made or no advancement is possible
Etymologies
- From French impasse (19th century), from in- + passer. (Wiktionary)
- French : in-, not (from Latin in-; see in-1) + passe, a passing (from Old French, from passer, to pass; see pass). (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“So, breaking that impasse is VERY welcome, essential and well over due.”
Latest on Cork Church records going online… « Cork Genealogist
“That was the status quo last Thursday, when, under the collective bargaining laws, the parties meaning the mayor on one side and the unions on the other brought to the commission what is called an "impasse" or stalemate in negotiations, meaning in this case that the parties were deadlocked on one issue, but in agreement on the bulk of the agreement.”
The Huffington Post: Xavier L. Suarez: The Dos and Don'ts of Dealing With an Impasse
“He said a long-term impasse could well get in the way of any national participation.”
“Roy attacks the impasse from a different perspective.”
The Huffington Post: Pepe Escobar: Letter from Islamophobistan
“Talks were expected to continue Thursday, and few on either side expected a long-term impasse.”
The Wall Street Journal: Legislature Lets Rent Laws Expire, for Now
“Florida's Vote-by-mail Plan Gains Few Fans" (Adam Smith and Wes Allison, St. Petersburg Times) The one idea that seemed to offer a way out of the impasse is not exactly popular among those who would be doing or organizing the voting.”
“Today the EU is satisfyingly mired in impasse following the Irish vote against the Lisbon treaty.”
“Or both roosters may mock everyone, daring the handlers to yet another round, neither crossing the line, each staring in silent accord at the other, waiting out the carefully timed bouts until impasse is finally declared.”
“The current paralysis and impasse is primarily because the US wants to be subject to no restraints whatever.”
“The difficulty that produces this impasse is not the difficulty of locating something conceptual in an object.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘impasse’.
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4087 more...
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501
Classic
aberration, abstruse, anomaly, assiduous, august, banal, boisterous, dulcet, epitome, impudent, insolent, mellifluous and 401 more...
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gre
municipal, whit, dissembler, berate, liberally, embellish, dissimilitude, histrionics, flamboyance, bombastic, bovine, calumny and 142 more...
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AFET - diplomacy
broker a peace ac..., client state, deadlocked peace ..., embassy, freeze, goodwill ambassador, hinterland, interfere in dome..., intervene personally, maintain technica..., mediation, no business as usual and 670 more...
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Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 11184 more...
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501
Classic
abhor, mirth, obtuse, iota, vex, irk, teem, pith, moot, mete, ire, bane and 401 more...
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GRE 2014
abase, abate, abdicate, aberrant, abeyance, abhor, abjure, abortive, abound, abrasive, abreast, abridge and 1577 more...
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From reading
Collected from reading
venerate, reprobate, reticent, adoration, ethereal, ephemeral, equivocal, contumacious, heinous, solicitous, agnostic, aberration and 335 more...
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501
Classic
aberration, abstruse, anomaly, assiduous, august, banal, boisterous, dulcet, epitome, impudent, insolent, mellifluous and 401 more...
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501
Classic
bane, bilk, boor, elan, ado, toil, onus, aberration, abstruse, anomaly, assiduous, august and 401 more...
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Words-I-tend-to-forget
I have read them many times before and looked them up as well, and yet I forget their meaning. So, this list should collect them for me for revision.
glib, audacious, imminent, deflect, convention, calytrix, overbearing, regressive, condescending, crouch, impasse, agonistic and 11 more...
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Ruzuzu's Big Ass List
If you're looking for long s examples, see here.
ass, assess, asshole, basso profondo, basso profundo, crass, assay, mr. ass itch, compass, slag-ass macaroon, brass, class and 41 more...
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man gre
abase, abeyance, abreast, abscission, abscond, abyss, accede, accretion, acerbic, acidulous, acumen, adulterate and 483 more...
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Fancy Frills
Words I might not use in day to day language..
condescending, belligerent, antepenultimate, impasse, agonistic, decrepit, cathartic., Evanesce, dog ear, uber, gibber, audacious and 4 more...
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gre2
aberrant, aberration, aboveboard, abrasive, abstemious, acme, admonish, affable, affluent, alacrity, allegory, alleviate and 1901 more...
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GRE
pejorative, austere, unconscionable, lissome, edify, winsome, axiom, malinger, abjure, deleterious, contumacious, peregrinate and 152 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for impasse.
blafferty Not to be confused with imp ass. Apr 30, 2011