impassive

impassive
impassive [im pas′iv]
adj.
[< IN-2 + PASSIVE]
1. not feeling pain; not liable to suffering; insensible
2. not feeling or showing emotion; placid; calm
impassively [im΄pə siv′ə tē]
adv.
impassivity [im΄pa siv′i tē]
n.
impassiveness
SYN.- IMPASSIVE means not having or showing any feeling or emotion, although it does not necessarily connote an incapability of being affected [his impassive face did not betray his anguish ]; APATHETIC stresses an indifference or listlessness from which one cannot easily be stirred to feeling [an apathetic electorate ]; STOIC implies an austere indifference to pleasure or pain and specifically suggests the ability to endure suffering without flinching [he received the bad news with stoic calm ]; STOLID suggests dullness, obtuseness, or stupidity in one who is not easily moved or excited; PHLEGMATIC is applied to one who by temperament is not easily disconcerted or aroused

English World dictionary. . 2014.

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  • impassive — impassive, stoic, phlegmatic, apathetic, stolid are comparable when they mean slightly if at all responsive to something that might be expected to excite emotion or interest or to produce a sensation. The distinctions to be drawn between these… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Impassive — Im*pas sive, a. Not susceptible of pain or suffering; apathetic; impassible; unmoved. [1913 Webster] Impassive as the marble in the quarry. De Quincey. [1913 Webster] On the impassive ice the lightings play. Pope. {Im*pas sive*ly}, adv. {Im*pas… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • impassive — index callous, controlled (restrained), dispassionate, impervious, inexpressive, inscrutable, insusceptible ( …   Law dictionary

  • impassive — (adj.) 1660s, not feeling pain, from assimilated form of in not, opposite of (see IN (Cf. in ) (1)) + PASSIVE (Cf. passive). Meaning void of emotions is from 1690s. Related: Impassively; impassiveness (1640s) …   Etymology dictionary

  • impassive — [adj] aloof, cool apathetic, callous, cold, cold blooded*, collected, composed, dispassionate, dry, emotionless, hardened, heartless, imperturbable, indifferent, indurated, inexcitable, inexpressive, inscrutable, insensible, insusceptible, matter …   New thesaurus

  • impassive — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ not feeling or showing emotion. DERIVATIVES impassively adverb impassiveness noun impassivity noun …   English terms dictionary

  • impassive — [[t]ɪmpæ̱sɪv[/t]] ADJ GRADED If someone is impassive or their face is impassive, they are not showing any emotion. [WRITTEN] He searched Hill s impassive face for some indication that he understood... As the foreman of the jury announced the… …   English dictionary

  • impassive — adjective Date: 1605 1. a. archaic unsusceptible to pain b. unsusceptible to physical feeling ; insensible c. unsusceptible to or destitute of emotion ; apathetic 2. giving no sign of feeling or emotion ; expressionless • …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • impassive — adj. VERBS ▪ be, sit, stand ▪ become ▪ remain ADVERB ▪ completely, quite …   Collocations dictionary

  • impassive — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) adj. stolid, phlegmatic, stoical, calm, undemonstrative. See insensibility. II (Roget s IV) modif. Syn. indifferent, apathetic, stoic, stolid, phlegmatic, callous, sedate, insensitive, emotionless; see… …   English dictionary for students

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