inexpressible

[ in-ik-spres-uh-buhl ]

adjective

1. not expressible; incapable of being uttered or described in words:

   a scene of inexpressible beauty.

noun

1. inexpressibles, Archaic. trousers; pants.

inexpressible

/ ˌɪnɪkˈsprɛsəbəl /

adjective

1. too great, etc, to be expressed or uttered; indescribable

Derived Forms

• ˌinexˌpressiˈbility, noun
• ˌinexˈpressibly, adverb

Other Words From

• inex·pressi·bili·ty inex·pressi·ble·ness noun
• inex·pressi·bly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of inexpressible¹

First recorded in 1615–25; in- ³ + expressible ( def )

Example Sentences

The often monumental sculptures serve as challenging and emotional reminders of the vital role of art to express the inexpressible.

From Seattle Times

“While we are grateful for the closure that has been provided, nothing will bring Terry back. The void left by her absence over the years is inexpressible.”

From Seattle Times

China's biggest flotilla of research vessels deployed to the Antarctic will focus on building the station on the rocky, windswept Inexpressible Island near the Ross Sea, a deep Southern Ocean bay named after a 19th century British explorer.

From Reuters

It reveals much about the inner lives of people with non-verbal autism, worlds that often remain devastatingly inexpressible.

From Los Angeles Times

Elaine Scarry, in her classic literary-philosophical study of the subject, “The Body in Pain,” zeroes in on the inexpressible nature of physical torment, the way it can “destroy language” and thereby seal a person off from understanding.

From Los Angeles Times