unspeakable
adjective
un·speak·able
ˌən-ˈspē-kə-bəl 
1
a
: incapable of being expressed in words : unutterable
b
: inexpressibly bad : horrendous
unspeakable living conditions
unspeakable evil
2
: that may not or cannot be spoken
the bawdy thoughts that come into one's head—the unspeakable words—
L. P. Smith
L. P. Smithunspeakable collections of consonants—Rosemary Jellis
Rosemary JellisSynonyms
Examples of unspeakable in a Sentence
the unspeakable horror of war
continually encountered unspeakable beauty in their travels through the Alps
Recent Examples on the Web
Woods, still haunted by Boston’s Big 3 — Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Pierce — beating the Lakers in the 2008 Finals, feels another Celtics win would be an unspeakable punishment from the basketball gods.
—Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2024
In the face of unspeakable tragedy, Griffin Dunne’s father, Dominick, found his footing in a new career — crime journalism.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 2 June 2024
This is a film that pines for the days of letter writing; the letters between Jennifer (Shailene Woodley) and Anthony (Callum Turner) are passionate and driven by immense, almost unspeakable desire, while emails are cold and calculated.
—Barry Levitt, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2024
At least 515 anti-LGBTQ bills, a record number, are pending in state legislatures across the country, representing an unspeakable mass of public hate.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for unspeakable 
Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2024
In the face of unspeakable tragedy, Griffin Dunne’s father, Dominick, found his footing in a new career — crime journalism.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 2 June 2024
This is a film that pines for the days of letter writing; the letters between Jennifer (Shailene Woodley) and Anthony (Callum Turner) are passionate and driven by immense, almost unspeakable desire, while emails are cold and calculated.
—Barry Levitt, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2024
At least 515 anti-LGBTQ bills, a record number, are pending in state legislatures across the country, representing an unspeakable mass of public hate.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for unspeakable
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unspeakable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near unspeakable
Cite this Entry
“Unspeakable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unspeakable. Accessed 16 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unspeakable
adjective
un·speak·able
ˌən-ˈspē-kə-bəl
ˈən-
1
: impossible to express in words
unspeakable beauty of the sunset
2
: extremely bad
unspeakable conduct
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