impassive
Adjective
Hard difficulty
What does “impassive” mean?
adjective.not feeling or showing emotion.
SAT Usage
this term often appears in contexts involving emotional restraint, stoicism, or situations of intense stress where characters maintain a calm demeanor. It emphasizes a lack of outward emotion, contrasting with words like "expressive" or "animated," which suggest visible emotional reactions.
Common Confusions
Impassive implies a complete lack of emotional expression, while stoic usually suggests enduring pain or hardship without complaint but may still allow for some internal emotional experience.
Do not choose impassive if the context emphasizes strong feelings or emotional reactions rather than not feeling or showing emotion.
Example Sentences
-
The judge remained impassive throughout the emotional testimony.
Word Parts: How to Remember “impassive”
Break “impassive” into its parts: in- (not). Knowing roots like these helps you decode unfamiliar SAT vocabulary.
-
Prefix:
in-not (Latin)