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Impregnable vs Insurmountable - What's the difference?

impregnable | insurmountable |

As adjectives the difference between impregnable and insurmountable

is that impregnable is too strong to be penetrated or impregnable can be capable of being impregnated while insurmountable is incapable of being passed over, surmounted, or overcome; insuperable; as, insurmountable difficulty or obstacle.

impregnable

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) imprenable, . Intrusive g added 16c on model of deign, reign.

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Too strong to be penetrated.
  • * South
    • The man's affection remains wholly unconcerned and impregnable .
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=October 2 , author=Jonathan Jurejko , title=Bolton 1 - 5 Chelsea , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=And with Bolton suffering a wretched run of five straight home defeats - their worst run in 109 years - Chelsea fans would have been forgiven for expecting a comfortable win.
    But surely they did not anticipate the ease with which their team raced into an almost impregnable half-time lead.}}

    Etymology 2

    From .

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Capable of being impregnated.
    • Following treatment, twenty percent of previously infertile females were impregnable .
    Application of the compound rendered the non-porous surface impregnable .

    References

    * Webster's Third New International Dictionary (1966).

    insurmountable

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Incapable of being passed over, surmounted, or overcome; insuperable; as, insurmountable difficulty or obstacle.