incurable

[ in-kyoor-uh-buhl ]

adjective

1. not curable; that cannot be cured, remedied, or corrected:

   an incurable disease.

2. not susceptible to change:

   his incurable pessimism.

   Synonyms: relentless, incorrigible

noun

1. a person with an incurable disease.

incurable

/ ɪnˈkjʊərəbəl /

adjective

1. (esp of a disease) not curable; unresponsive to treatment

noun

1. a person having an incurable disease

Derived Forms

• inˌcuraˈbility, noun
• inˈcurably, adverb

Other Words From

• in·cur·a·bil·i·ty [in-ky, oo, r-, uh, -, bil, -i-tee], in·cur·a·ble·ness noun
• in·cur·a·bly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of incurable¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Late Latin incūrābilis; in- ³, curable

Example Sentences

His camerawork is some of the footage which features in My Brain Tumour and Me - my attempt to give an insight into living with an incurable cancer that is not well understood.

From BBC

And another charity, Prostate Cancer UK, says the report supports its call to overhaul "dangerously outdated NHS guidance that is leading to too many men receiving a late, incurable diagnoses".

From BBC

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Sir Chris Hoy says he "will never forget the words it's incurable" as he opens up about the moment he was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer.

From BBC

Since her diagnosis, the 56-year-old singer has put performances on hold and explained that the incurable disorder has made it feel like “somebody’s strangling you” when she attempts to sing.

From Los Angeles Times

In Wales, Members of the Senedd are voting on a motion submitted by Labour's Julie Morgan, offering people "intolerably suffering" from incurable physical illnesses "the option of an assisted death, subject to robust safeguards".

From BBC

Related Words

• deadly
• fatal
• hopeless
• inoperable