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impasse — meaning in English

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English meaning

  • deadlock noun A complete standstill caused by two equally matched sides refusing to give way.
  • gridlock noun A traffic jam so severe that vehicles cannot move in any direction; also used for a complete standstill in progress or negotiations.
  • impasse noun A situation where no further progress can be made; a deadlock.
  • quandary noun A state of being unsure what to do, especially when facing a difficult choice.
  • stalemate noun In chess, a position where the player to move has no legal move and is not in check, ending the game as a draw.
  • standoff noun A tense confrontation in which neither side backs down or advances.

Senses

impasse is used for these senses in English:

  • dead end (figurative) A position that offers no hope of change or progress.
  • deadlock A standstill resulting from the opposition of two evenly matched forces; a stalemate or impasse.
  • gridlock (figuratively, by extension) Any paralysis of a complex system due to severe congestion, conflict, or deadlock.
  • impasse (figurative) A deadlock or stalemate situation in which no progress can be made.
  • quandary A state of not knowing what to decide; a state of difficulty or perplexity; a state of uncertainty, hesitation or puzzlement.
  • standoff A deadlocked confrontation between antagonists.

deadlock — full definition

  1. noun A complete standstill caused by two equally matched sides refusing to give way.
  2. verb To bring negotiations, a process, or a system to a complete standstill.

gridlock — full definition

  1. noun A traffic jam so severe that vehicles cannot move in any direction; also used for a complete standstill in progress or negotiations.
  2. verb To bring to a complete standstill.

Related Portuguese words