to make an impression; have an effect or impact (usually followed by on or upon):
to impinge upon the imagination; social pressures that impinge upon one's daily life.
2.
to encroach; infringe (usually followed by on or upon):
to impinge on another's rights.
3.
to strike; dash; collide (usually followed by on, upon, or against):
rays of light impinging on the eye.
verb (used with object), impinged, impinging.
4.
Obsolete. to come into violent contact with.
Origin
1525-35; < Medieval Latinimpingere to strike against, drive at, equivalent to Latinim-im-1 + -pingere, combining form of pangere to fasten, drive in, fix; see impact
Seldom does something that benefits so few impinge on the pleasure of so many.
And when they impinge upon other students experience, it's time for them to take it outside.
Of course, if the minimum were so low as to impinge on none of the wage bargains actually being struck, there would be no effect.
Land development practices not only increase the fire risk but also impinge on wildlife habitats.
But when they impinge upon a moron they set off his hormones, and so they are justifiably feared.
The president's comments are unlikely to impinge to heavily on the city's business.
Human activities simply impinge in too many ways on the well-being of animal populations.
It's a mediator of all the voices that impinge on it.
The difficulty is that sound reflections in the concert hall impinge on the listener from all directions.
Clogged court calendars can hamper the prosecution of a case and impinge on defendants' rights.
British Dictionary definitions for impinge
impinge
/ɪmˈpɪndʒ/
verb
1.
(intransitive; usually foll by on or upon) to encroach or infringe; trespass: to impinge on someone's time
2.
(intransitive; usually foll by on, against, or upon) to collide (with); strike
Derived Forms
impingement, noun impinger, noun
Word Origin
C16: from Latin impingere to drive at, dash against, from pangere to fasten, drive in
Word Origin and History for impinge
v.
1530s, "fasten or fix forcibly," from Latin impingere "drive into, strike against," from assimilated form of in- "into, in, on, upon" (see in- (2)) + pangere "to fix, fasten" (see pact). Sense of "encroach, infringe" first recorded 1738. Related: Impinged; impinging.