Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Devoid of or not subject to emotion.
  • adjective Revealing no emotion; expressionless.
  • adjective Archaic Incapable of physical sensation.
  • adjective Motionless; still.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Not susceptible of pain or suffering; insensible; impassible.
  • Not showing sensibility or emotion; unmoved; apathetic: as, an impassive manner.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Not susceptible of pain or suffering; apathetic; impassible; unmoved.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Having, or revealing, no emotion.
  • adjective Still or motionless.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective having or revealing little emotion or sensibility; not easily aroused or excited
  • adjective deliberately impassive in manner

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[in– + passive, suffering (obsolete).]

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Examples

  • "To visitation of the impassive air," is a sonorous verse; but it is not Dante's verse, unless _all detached_ means _on every side is open to visitation_, and _impassive air_ means

    The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 20, No. 118, August, 1867 Various

  • Choudhury forced herself to keep her expression impassive and nonthreatening.

    Star Trek: TNG: Losing the Peace William Leisner 2009

  • Ella avoided looking at him and kept her expression impassive as she served the dewberry cobbler and cream.

    Rainwater Sandra Brown 2009

  • Choudhury forced herself to keep her expression impassive and nonthreatening.

    Star Trek: TNG: Losing the Peace William Leisner 2009

  • He gazed out from the screen, his expression impassive as always.

    In the Name of Honor Dayton Ward 2002

  • He gazed out from the screen, his expression impassive as always.

    In the Name of Honor Dayton Ward 2002

  • He gazed out from the screen, his expression impassive as always.

    In the Name of Honor Dayton Ward 2002

  • He gazed out from the screen, his expression impassive as always.

    In the Name of Honor Dayton Ward 2002

  • He gazed out from the screen, his expression impassive as always.

    In the Name of Honor Dayton Ward 2002

  • Her gaze fastened on the lean-faced man who commanded the group, his expression impassive and aloof.

    Touch the Wind Janet Dailey 1986

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