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Prepositions after adjectives

impervious: correct preposition use

Impervious is normally followed by to. Other prepositions are rare or belong to different sentence structures.

Quick answer

Standard pattern

Use impervious to to mean not affected by something or not allowing something through. Impervious from and impervious in are not standard complements after the adjective.

The material is impervious to water.
She seemed impervious to criticism.
The coating is impervious to heat.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
impervious to + substance

Blocking physical effects

Used for materials and surfaces.

The jacket is impervious to rain.
2
impervious to + influence

Unaffected emotionally or mentally

Common figurative use.

He remained impervious to public pressure.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
impervious to
The wall is impervious to moisture.
Not affected by or not allowing passage.
impervious from
Impervious from damage is nonstandard.
Use impervious to instead.
impervious in
Impervious in this context is uncommon.
In is usually not the complement after impervious.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using impervious from

English normally uses to after impervious.

✕ impervious from criticism ✓ impervious to criticism

Using impervious in as a complement

In may describe location, not the adjective pattern.

✓ impervious to water

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The fabric is impervious ___ stains.
2. She appeared impervious ___ public opinion.
3. Which phrase is standard?

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Frequently asked questions

Can impervious describe people?

Yes. It often means emotionally unaffected.

Is impervious to always negative?

No. It can describe useful protection, such as impervious to water.

What is a simpler synonym?

Unaffected by or resistant to are common alternatives.

ideal-for-in-as-at, from "identical to" or "identical with"? identifiable by, as, with, in or to? "idle for" or "idle in"? ignorant of, about, to, in or on? "illegal in" or "illegal for"? illustrative of, in, rather or for? ill with, in, for, at or of? "immune to" or "immune from"? "impatient with" or "impatient for"? "imperative for" or "imperative to"? implicit in, to, within, from or rather?

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