Word of the Day - 11/28/25
impassive
/ɪm'pæsɪv/(adj.): having or revealing little emotion or sensibility; not easily aroused or excited
He tried to look impassive during the board game, but his twitching eye gave away his bluff.
Word Origin
The word 'impassive' originates from Latin. It is formed from the prefix 'im-' (a variant of 'in-'), meaning 'not' or 'without', combined with 'passive'. 'Passive' comes from the Latin 'passivus', meaning 'capable of feeling or suffering', which itself is derived from 'passus', the past participle of the verb 'pati', meaning 'to suffer' or 'to endure'. Thus, 'impassive' literally means 'not suffering' or 'not feeling'.
Words with similar origins include 'passive', 'passion', 'patient', 'patience', and 'compatible'. All these words trace their roots back to the Latin verb 'pati' (to suffer, endure) or its related forms like 'passus'.