impinge

verb

im·​pinge im-ˈpinj How to pronounce impinge (audio)
impinged; impinging

intransitive verb

1
: encroach, infringe
impinge on other people's rights
2
: to have an effect : make an impression
waiting for the germ of a new idea to impinge upon my mindPhyllis Bentley
3
: to strike or dash especially with a sharp collision
I heard the rain impinge upon the earthJames Joyce
impingement noun

Examples of impinge in a Sentence

hail was noisily impinging upon the car's exterior
Recent Examples on the Web County rules prohibit buildings from impinging on a public right of way, the letter says. Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2024 There were three additional general video winners—on the atomization of impinging jets, the emergent collective motion of condensate droplets, and the swimming motion of a robotic eel—as well as three poster winners. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 8 Dec. 2023 Setting too aggressive a schedule could impinge on the rights of the defendant to have sufficient time to prepare for a complex trial. Alan Feuer, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2023 The strategy actually impinges on the filmmaker, too, imposing a kind of tunnel vision, a dramatic teleology that narrows perspective and imagination. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 29 Nov. 2023 Using thousands of sensors buried in the ice, the detector spots flashes of light from impinging high-energy neutrinos from across the cosmos. Daniel Garisto, Scientific American, 13 Dec. 2023 By providing trustworthy information and more choices, the USDA could help lower emissions without impinging on anyone’s liberty to sell or consume meat. Jan Dutkiewicz, The New Republic, 5 Sep. 2023 Private equity isn’t the whole story here, but its rise accentuates finance’s power to guide city politics away from any measure that might impinge on the extremely wealthy. Sam Needleman, The New York Review of Books, 7 Oct. 2023 The switch to a fabric roof from the previous retractable hardtop also means that putting the top down doesn't impinge on trunk space, which is sufficient to swallow a large suitcase or a couple of roll-aboards. Joe Lorio, Car and Driver, 12 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'impinge.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin impingere, from in- + pangere to fasten, drive in — more at pact

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of impinge was in 1605

Dictionary Entries Near impinge

Cite this Entry

“Impinge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impinge. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

impinge

verb
im·​pinge im-ˈpinj How to pronounce impinge (audio)
impinged; impinging
1
: to strike or dash especially with a sharp collision
sound waves impinge on the eardrums
2
: encroach sense 1, infringe
impinge on another's rights
impingement noun

More from Merriam-Webster on impinge

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