unspeakable
Americanadjective
-
not speakable; that may not be spoken.
-
exceeding the power of speech; unutterable; inexpressible; indescribable.
- Synonyms:
- unimaginable, ineffable
-
inexpressibly bad or objectionable.
adjective
-
incapable of expression in words
unspeakable ecstasy
-
indescribably bad or evil
-
not to be uttered
unspeakable thoughts
Other Word Forms
- unspeakableness noun
- unspeakably adverb
Etymology
Origin of unspeakable
1350–1400; Middle English unspekeabill. See un- 1, speak ( def. ), -able ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Speaking at Rabbi Schlanger's funeral, Rabbi Levi Wolff described his death as an "unspeakable loss" for the community.
From BBC
Rabbi Levi Wolff, who opened the service, said his death as an "unspeakable loss" for the community, the Chabad of Bondi and "the entire Jewish nation".
From BBC
"As children, both Larisa and Alexander faced the unspeakable terror of the Holocaust," the health organisation wrote in its annual report.
From BBC
Ought she lie, and say some horrible fate had befallen her speech, thus rendering it unspeakable?
From Literature
Situated among these bursts of color and patterns and Afrocentric pride, though, are photos of unspeakable losses.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
