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.
Asked about the lawsuit, OpenAI told AFP: "What happened in Tumbler Ridge was an unspeakable tragedy."
From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026
Maybe someone down at the petrol station, to which William keeps sneaking to mollify his insatiable chocolate addiction and where local people do unspeakable things with the gas pumps.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026
Situated among these bursts of color and patterns and Afrocentric pride, though, are photos of unspeakable losses.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 10, 2025
With a lyric about surviving unspeakable loss, it's one of the most raw and adventurous songs in Sheeran's discography.
From BBC • Sep. 11, 2025
"Then let us have no more interruptions with unspeakable acts. No barking Arf! either. Do you understand me, Mr. Knapp?"
From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg
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.
