pass-, pati-

Incompatibility in which one person's tissue cannot be transplanted to another person: The rejection of tissue grafts by the host's immune system is due to an histoincompatibility of the donor's tissues that are too genetically dissimilar to the host's antigens.

The chances of histoincompatibility increase the more dissimilar the host and donor are from each other.

1. Descriptive of someone who is incapable of suffering or pain: After hearing the very sad news of the accident, Meg was so stunned and shocked that she was quite impassible and didn't feel anything.
2. Concerning a person who is not touched or moved to passion or sympathy: Jack's sister Jill was in an impassible state of mind when she found out that her mother was involved with another man.
4. Relating to an individual who is unfeeling or not showing feeling; impassive: At the funeral James was quite impassible because he didn't know the person who had passed away.
5. Pertaining to a person who is not susceptible to, or not capable of feeling physical pain or injury; sensationless: When Ruth broke her arm, she was impassible for a moment or two because she didn't feel any throbbing or shooting pain at all!

Freedom from pain, harm from external things, or suffering; impassibility: In the fantasy story that Mary was reading, the main character was said to be in a state of impassibleness, which meant that no one could injure him or that he could feel any misery or agony.

Referring to how a person is incapable of feeling emotion or of experiencing pain: Jane was impassibly calm when answering the policeman's questions about the car accident she had witnessed.

To fill with love; to arouse emotionally; to inflame with intense feeling; to infuse desire into; to stir the feelings of; to excite deeply or strongly: Giving birth to her first child impassioned and animated Meg so much that she couldn't sleep at all that night.

Did you notice that the im- prefix of impassion and impassioned are intensive while the im- prefix used with the previous word (impassionate) has the meaning of “no, not, lacking,” etc.? It shows that one cannot depend on these prefixes to mean the same thing for all words.

Not too many years ago, just about every gasoline truck in the U.S. had large signs painted on them that said, INFLAMMABLE. Since most people thought that the prefix in- meant “not”, they interpreted INFLAMMABLE to mean NOT FLAMMABLE. Now the trucks carry the painted signs: FLAMMABLE to eliminate any confusion.

The Family Word Finder, a Reader‘s Digest publication, says, “Flammable has now replaced its older synonym inflammable [from Latin inflammare, to kindle) in technical and commercial usage, where the word FLAMMABLE on a dangerously combustible product is thought to serve as a more unmistakable warning.”

1. Referring to an individual who is brimming over with affection or fondness: The impassionate couple strolled along the river dreamy-eyed and enjoyed every single moment.
2. Concerning a person who is free from, or not governed by, passion; calm, dispassionate: He spoke to her in a quite impassionate voice, with not one spark of emotion.

1. A reference to a person is filled with or shows strong feelings: After falling down and probably breaking her leg, Jane made an impassioned cry for help!
2. Descriptive of warmth and intensity without violence, and suggests fluent verbal expressions: Tom loved June so much that he shouted out in an impassioned and emotional way that he would love her for ever and ever!
3. Characteristic of an oration or of a speech that is fervent, fiery, and stirring: Janet gave a very impassioned talk at the meeting about preserving the wildlife area outside the town instead of building the factory, which only a few wanted. © ALL rights are reserved.
© ALL rights are reserved.

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Concerning how a person expresses his or her feelings in a strong or forceful manner: In the meeting, Mr. Short talked impassionedly about the horrible and devastating war that was going on.

1. Descriptive of a person who does not feel pain or show any emotion: After being reprimanded by his boss, Doug was very impassive, not saying a word, and walked out of the room.
2. A reference to an expressionless or an unresponsive reaction to something that might normally excite fear or emotion: When Lynn heard of the news of her father's death from the doctor, her eyes flooded with tears, distorting her impassive and controlled composure.
3. Relating to an insensible, calm, or an unperturbed condition or behavior to a serious situation: Mr. Hill remained sitting in an impassive and expressionless manner while his verdict was being announced that he would have to spend 3 years in jail.
4. Characteristic of a deprived feeling or sensation: Because of the very strong medication, Albert was quite impassive and apathetic to the suffering around him. © ALL rights are reserved.

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Descriptive of how someone does not show awareness to suffering or pain; in an unemotional or unmoved manner: Mrs. Robinson submitted impassively to her own arrest by the police officer.

The state of apathy shown by a lack of emotional reactions; indifference; phlegm: Sherry was amazed and shocked at her son's impassiveness at the death of his father because she thought that both of them had a good relationship!

A condition of indifference; coolness; listlessness: Sometimes Christina's impassivity in answering her questions was enough to enrage her mother to no end!

1. The state of restlessness; the lack of serenity and calmness; an unwillingness to accept delays: Little Tommy was always disposed to impatience when he had to wait for his parents or when he had to wait for his dessert!
2. An inclination to be irritable or intolerant; failure to bear suffering, discomfort, annoyance, etc.: Barbara's impatience was showing because she was waiting for a very important letter in the mail.

Mr. Lawson's impatience was quite noticeable in the waiting room at the doctor's office because he had been waiting for at least an hour before it was his turn!

1. Concerning a person who feels or shows a lack of forbearance; feeling or displaying annoyance because of delay; opposition; agitation: Mr. Black was quite irritable and impatient at the restaurant because he had to wait so long for his dinner to arrive.
2. Regarding an individual who shows restless eagerness to do something, go somewhere; overzealous, hasty: Little Ivy was so impatient to go see her grandmother in Germany that she packed her bag a month before leaving home!
3. Descriptive of someone who lacks endurance; irritable, irascible, easily provoked: Greg was sick with the flu and was so impatient to get well again that he became very snappy and exasperated with his parents for keeping him in bed so long!

1. Descriptive of how a person is restless and agitated: While Greg was waiting impatiently at the bus stop, he tapped his foot on the ground and smoked a cigarette.
2. Concerning how someone is uneasy or restless: Jack impatiently waited for his wife to finish getting ready to go to the concert.
3. Pertaining to how an individual yearns or hopes for something that causes uneasiness: Gary was very anxious to see his girlfriend, and waited impatiently for her to finally arrive with the airplane at the airport!