ineffable

[ in-ef-uh-buhl ]

adjective

1. incapable of being expressed or described in words; inexpressible:

   ineffable joy.

2. not to be spoken because of its sacredness; unutterable:

   the ineffable name of the deity.

   Synonyms: unspeakable

ineffable

/ ɪnˈɛfəbəl /

adjective

1. too great or intense to be expressed in words; unutterable
2. too sacred to be uttered
3. indescribable; indefinable

Derived Forms

• inˌeffaˈbility, noun
• inˈeffably, adverb

Other Words From

• in·effa·bili·ty in·effa·ble·ness noun
• in·effa·bly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of ineffable¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English word from Latin word ineffābilis. See in- ³, effable

Word History and Origins

Origin of ineffable¹

C15: from Latin ineffābilis unutterable, from in- ¹+ effābilis, from effārī to utter, from fārī to speak

Example Sentences

Unlike something ineffable — such as a person’s place of birth, race, sex or gender — political ideology is a choice.

From Salon

And it imbues the foodstuffs, home goods, clothes, paraphernalia and tchotchkes that hail from here with a sort of unquantifiable, ineffable, sun-kissed, surf-adjacent vibe that wraps around you like a cartoon bear hug.

From Los Angeles Times

El Zurdo — “The Lefty” — would be Fernando Valenzuela, the youngest of 12 children from this desert hamlet in northwest Mexico who would corral a blend of ineffable talent and gritty determination to electrify Southern California and the baseball universe.

From Los Angeles Times

We may have finally been forced to abandon the nagging reportorial need to translate Trump’s words into promises and pledges, and leaned back out cozily into simply appreciating the former president’s ineffable sway and fist pump, and his rapturous enjoyment of show tunes.

From Slate

But what they have remains ineffable.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• ethereal
• heavenly
• indescribable
• transcendent
• unspeakable