unbearable

[uhn-bair-uh-buhl]

adjective

1. not bearable; unendurable; intolerable.

unbearable

/ ʌnˈbɛərəbəl /

adjective

1. not able to be borne or endured

Other Word Forms

• unbearableness noun
• unbearably adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of unbearable¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; un- ¹, bearable

Example Sentences

She briefly rose to test her injured knee before giving up, the pain unbearable.

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North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un has since met bereaved families and offered condolences for their "unbearable pain".

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Access to healthcare was already a challenge in rural areas of Pakistan, but once the floods hit, the challenge was unbearable for many women we met.

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He described as “unbearable” the suffering of the Sudanese people, whose country has been at war since 2023.

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She described the process of repeatedly preparing for the trial to begin as "unbearable".

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Related Words

• a bit much www.thesaurus.com
• insufferable 
• intolerable 
• oppressive 
• unacceptable