impinge
/ɪmˈpɪnd͡ʒ/ verb
Forms impinges impinging impinged
- verb (intransitive, rarely transitive) To make a physical impact on. “Loud noise can impinge on the eardrum, causing temporary hearing damage.”
- verb (intransitive, rarely transitive, figuratively) To interfere with.
- verb (intransitive, figuratively) To have an effect upon, especially a negative one.
Synonyms
collide crash strike encroach infringe trespass affect limit touch influence impact entrench trench
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin impingō (“dash against, impinge”). Compare impact, derived from the perfect passive participle of impingō.
Webster’s 1913
Etymology [L. impingere; pref. im- in + pangere to fix, strike; prob. akin to pacisci to agree, contract. See Pact, and cf. Impact.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “impinge”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details