Impinge v. Infringe (1 Viewer)

[Ditkaless Wonders]

Aside from one being intransitive and the other transitive are they exact synonyms?  I have always found infringe slightly stronger or more inclusive, but I have heard that I am wrong.  For instance I would rather have my rights impinged upon than infringed as I think of the later as going a bit farther, but am I wrong, again?

 

[eoMMan]

I honestly have never heard of the word impinge.  If you broke that out on Words with Friends, I would call BS. 

 

[ChiefD]

They are different but similar:

I impinged my ball sack in my zipper by accident.

I infringed on my zipper with my ball sack.

 

[wikkidpissah]

impinge is to infringe as nurple is to noogie

 

[Binky The Doormat]

I honestly have never heard of the word impinge.  If you broke that out on Words with Friends, I would call BS. 

you would lose.

ETA:  shoulder impingement patient here. 

 

[JaxBill]

I always thought impinge implied physical restriction.

 

[rockaction]

Huh, interesting topic, DW. I think you're right for the most part, as are the other posters. We think of impinge often as a pyhsical ailment or something deterimental, infringe seems to be more about agreed-upon terms.  That's from a quick check at dictionary.com, and how I always use the words.