impassive
adjective
im·pas·sive
(ˌ)im-ˈpa-siv 
1
: giving no sign of feeling or emotion : expressionless
2
a
: unsusceptible to or destitute of emotion : apathetic
b
: unsusceptible to physical feeling : insensible
c
archaic
: unsusceptible to pain
Synonyms
Examples of impassive in a Sentence
Her face remained impassive throughout the trial.
she remained impassive as the officers informed her of her son's death
Recent Examples on the Web
Gladstone’s Cam conceals a lifetime’s worth of anger—about her own upbringing, about her perennial outsider status—beneath an impassive exterior.
—
Judy Berman, TIME, 16 Apr. 2024
The former laborer, who sometimes broke into tears during his testimony, spoke in front of a large screen broadcasting Lucas García’s impassive figure.
—Tara John, CNN, 13 Apr. 2024
Other voices were now on the line, impassive, distorted by static—a dispatcher, coördinating with police and E.M.T.s.
—Zach Williams, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024
But the character is, by design, relatively impassive, stoic, and shy of expression, albeit bursting with thought and emotion.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024
Farrell is impassive as the travesties mount, behaving like a robot that relies on algorithms to process and feign emotion.
—Allaire Nuss, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024
What remains is Menzies’s Lucas, a man in the eye of a maelstrom, initially mired in impassive incomprehension until a particularly brutal act shocks him into fury.
—Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2024
Marseille also went out on penalties, falling to 2019 tournament winner Rennes 9-8 in a tense shootout where both goalkeepers goaded the penalty takers in front of an impassive referee.
—Jerome Pugmire, USA TODAY, 21 Jan. 2024
This becomes more evident in later chapters, in which impassive reconstruction slips into impassioned defense.
—Krithika Varagur, The New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2024
Judy Berman, TIME, 16 Apr. 2024
The former laborer, who sometimes broke into tears during his testimony, spoke in front of a large screen broadcasting Lucas García’s impassive figure.
—Tara John, CNN, 13 Apr. 2024
Other voices were now on the line, impassive, distorted by static—a dispatcher, coördinating with police and E.M.T.s.
—Zach Williams, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024
But the character is, by design, relatively impassive, stoic, and shy of expression, albeit bursting with thought and emotion.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024
Farrell is impassive as the travesties mount, behaving like a robot that relies on algorithms to process and feign emotion.
—Allaire Nuss, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024
What remains is Menzies’s Lucas, a man in the eye of a maelstrom, initially mired in impassive incomprehension until a particularly brutal act shocks him into fury.
—Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2024
Marseille also went out on penalties, falling to 2019 tournament winner Rennes 9-8 in a tense shootout where both goalkeepers goaded the penalty takers in front of an impassive referee.
—Jerome Pugmire, USA TODAY, 21 Jan. 2024
This becomes more evident in later chapters, in which impassive reconstruction slips into impassioned defense.
—Krithika Varagur, The New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'impassive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near impassive
Cite this Entry
“Impassive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impassive. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
impassive
adjective
im·pas·sive
(ˈ)im-ˈpas-iv
: not feeling or not showing emotion
impassively
adverb
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