interminable
adjective
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We promise not to ramble on endlessly about the origins of interminable. This word was borrowed into English in the 15th century, from a Latin word combining the prefix in- ("not") and the verb terminare, meaning "to terminate" or "to limit." Interminable describes not only something without an actual end (or no end in sight, such as "interminable traffic"), but also events, such as tedious lectures, that drag on in such a way that they give no clear indication of ever wrapping up. Some relatives of interminable in English include terminate, determine, terminal, and exterminate.
Examples of interminable in a Sentence
Jayson Stark, New York Times, 27 July 2025
The apophatic gestures in The Apprenticeship allude to a truth in skepticism, in the interminable questioning that is intrinsic to living—the convert’s ability to live the questions through her relationship to God.
—Terry Nguyen
july 23, Literary Hub, 23 July 2025
The membership stayed small, and the interminable wait list quickly became mythological, as much Disney lore as the secret elevator in the Haunted Mansion.
—Justine Harman, Vulture, 6 Feb. 2025
The interminable wait for the most important show on television — And Just Like That… — is nearly over.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for interminable
Cite this Entry
“Interminable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interminable. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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interminable
adjective
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