insupportable

[ in-suh-pawr-tuh-buhl, -pohr- ]

adjective

1. not endurable; unbearable; insufferable:

   insupportable pain.

2. incapable of support or justification, as by evidence or collected facts:

   an insupportable accusation.

insupportable

/ ˌɪnsəˈpɔːtəbəl /

adjective

1. incapable of being endured; intolerable; insufferable
2. incapable of being supported or justified; indefensible

Derived Forms

• ˌinsupˈportableness, noun
• ˌinsupˈportably, adverb

Other Words From

• insup·porta·ble·ness insup·porta·bili·ty noun
• insup·porta·bly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of insupportable¹

From the Late Latin word insupportābilis, dating back to 1520–30. See in- ³, supportable

Example Sentences

But given how the Biden case unfolded, it would have been insupportable to have a special counsel for one and not for the other.

From Washington Post

“Buildings kill up to a billion birds every year in the U.S. The reflective surfaces depicted in the design proposals would lead to a disturbing and insupportable uptick in deaths — especially because Washington is situated along a major migratory route that many species follow to travel south toward warmer climates,” the group said.

From Washington Times

The long-running myth that the rebel generals had no connection to racism became insupportable when contemporary white supremacists swaddled themselves in Confederate symbols.

From Seattle Times

But they’ve been conditioned to think of even modest measures, such as mask mandates, are insupportable infringements of their rights, and they’ve been fed lies about the measures’ effectiveness so they’ll feel comfortable about living without them.

From Los Angeles Times

A stranger would have found them insupportable, and even to me they were so oppressive that I hesitated, half inclined to go back.

From Literature