MEANING
To pierce a person, animal, or body part with a pointed object, especially so that it becomes fixed on the point.
Use it for
Fatal traps; bodies fixed in place; a fall onto a sharp obstructionJoin the injury to the object that prevents escape.
Words that belong together
- impale on a spike
- impaled body
- impale through the chest
On the page
A broken fence post had impaled the deer.
She stopped when she saw the figure impaled on the antenna.
The trap was built to impale, not to close around its prey.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- impale / impales
- Past tense
- impaled
- Past participle
- impaled
- Present participle
- impaling
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- impale / impales
- Present continuous
- am/is/are impaling
- Present perfect
- have/has impaled
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been impaling
- Past
- impaled
- Past continuous
- was/were impaling
- Past perfect
- had impaled
- Past perfect continuous
- had been impaling
- Future
- will impale / impales
- Future continuous
- will be impaling
- Future perfect
- will have impaled
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been impaling
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Primary category: horror. Often suggests penetration and fixation, especially on a stake or spike, but continuing attachment is not required in every use. Not restricted to deliberate punishment. Verb [base, third-person present, past, past participle, -ing]: impale, impales, impaled, impaled, impaling. Derived/related family (not inflections): impalement (noun).
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