insurmountable

[ in-ser-moun-tuh-buhl ]

adjective

1. incapable of being surmounted, passed over, or overcome; insuperable:

   an insurmountable obstacle.

insurmountable

/ ˌɪnsəˈmaʊntəbəl /

adjective

1. incapable of being overcome; insuperable

Derived Forms

• ˌinsurˈmountably, adverb
• ˌinsurˌmountaˈbility, noun

Other Words From

• insur·mounta·bili·ty insur·mounta·ble·ness noun
• insur·mounta·bly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of insurmountable¹

First recorded in 1690–1700; in- ³ + surmountable ( def )

Example Sentences

Collectively, the Latino shift towards Trump, his hold on white working-class voters and his increased support among non-college educated voters in general created an insurmountable obstacle for the Harris campaign.

From BBC

But what about the feeling that our problems are vast and insurmountable?

From Los Angeles Times

The Dodgers will soon be marching through Los Angeles like they’ve been marching through New York, boldly and powerfully and redemptively after taking a historically insurmountable three-games-to-none lead against the Yankees with a 4-2 victory Monday night in Game 3 of the World Series at blustery Yankee Stadium.

From Los Angeles Times

Although United have spoken about the financial impact of paying compensation to Ten Hag and an incoming coach, others with a knowledge of United’s finances have suggested this will not be an insurmountable issue.

From BBC

Lest we forget, Hillary Clinton got 2.8 million more votes than Donald Trump did in 2016, but the distribution of those votes turned out to be an insurmountable problem: If we subtract California, Illinois, Massachusetts and New York from the overall total, Trump won the rest of the country by 5 million votes.

From Salon

Related Words

• hopeless
• impassable
• impregnable
• invincible
• overwhelming
• unbeatable