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
Michael Cox, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Jones’ publicly stated desire to bail on this interminable Blackhawks rebuild — no matter how reasonable, no matter how maturely handled — isn’t going to help matters.
—Mark Lazerus, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
Days are interminable, devoid of the only thing any ballplayer dreams of doing.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 19 May 2025
And an outright bad host (see the bottom) can make the 90-minute show seem interminable and out of touch.
—Omar L. Gallaga, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 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 30 Jun. 2025.
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interminable
adjective
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