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🚫 To limit 💥 To hit
to impinge on

to impinge on

8.0
Hit something suddenly
  • phrasal verb
  • /ɪmˈpɪndʒ ɑn/
translation icon : impactar en
  • The branches impinge on the roof of the house, causing minor damage during storms.

It's because of solar radius, solar wind impinging on the surface.

Examples

  • When they ignite inside, you need to get the get the oxidizer to impinge on the fuel very precisely.

  • So we have this constant stream of electrons impinging on our nickel crystal.

  • And so photons come in as the sunlight is impinging on the on the little blue stuff.

  • In addition, one would want to explore ways in which these forces have impinged on the growth and development of American culture and its controlling ideologies.

    Academic text (1996)

  • If isolated single photons impinge on the beamsplitter, at most one of the detectors will observe a photon at any given time.

    Academic text (2012)

  • Upwardly growing pituitary tumors impinge on the anterior notch of the chiasm at its lowest lying aspect.

    Academic text (2007)

  • However, bullets hitting a wall at a glancing angle ricochet, and X-rays that impinge on polished-glass mirror surfaces at grazing angles also reflect with high efficiency.

    Academic text (1991)

  • The raindrops began to impinge on the window, creating a soothing sound.

  • As the waves impinge on the shore, they create patterns in the sand.

Synonyms

to hit
vsto impinge on
∞ 1.0

To strike someone or something with force

emphasizes sudden contact but not necessarily strong force or damage
to strike
vsto impinge on
553 2.4

To hit someone or something with force

is sudden contact that can be unintentional and lacks purposeful action
to run into
vsto impinge on
75 2.3

Hit something by accident while moving

is sudden contact that may be accidental or intentional not only accidental
to collide with
vsto impinge on
38 3.7

Hit something or someone while moving, causing a sudden strong crash

does not require movement and simply means sudden contact with something
to bump into
vsto impinge on
18 2.1

To hit someone or something by accident while moving

is sudden contact but can be expected or planned rather than accidental

Antonyms

to miss
∞ 1.0

To fail to reach or hit something you aim for

dodge
4 2.7

A quick movement to avoid being hit

How Hard

smash
7 3.7
to strike
553 2.4
to hit
∞ 1.0
to impinge on
8.0
graze
4 3.4
to touch
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

impinge on infinitive
impinged on past
impinged on past participle
impinging on present participle
impinges on third person singular

Morphology

impinge + on

The sense 'to have an effect on, especially a negative one' is directly built from the verb 'impinge' (to produce an effect/influence) with the preposition 'on' marking the target. This follows a common verb + on compositional pattern rather than an idiomatic shift, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the meaning.

Etymology

Impinge on comes from an old word that meant 'to strike against.' Imagine a small particle suddenly hitting a sensor or a meteor striking the ground, and that sharp picture explains why it means 'to hit or come into sudden contact with'.