intolerable

adjective

in·​tol·​er·​a·​ble (ˌ)in-ˈtä-lə-rə-bəl How to pronounce intolerable (audio)
-ˈtäl-rə-,
-ˈtä-lər-bəl
1
: not tolerable : unbearable
intolerable pain
2
intolerability
(ˌ)in-ˌtä-lə-rə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce intolerable (audio)
-ˌtäl-rə-
-ˌtä-lər-
noun
intolerableness
(ˌ)in-ˈtä-lə-rə-bəl-nəs How to pronounce intolerable (audio)
-ˈtäl-rə-
-ˈtä-lər-bəl-
noun
intolerably
(ˌ)in-ˈtä-lə-rə-blē How to pronounce intolerable (audio)
-ˈtäl-rə-
-ˈtä-lər-blē
adverb

Examples of intolerable in a Sentence

She divorced him on the grounds of intolerable cruelty. this stifling heat is intolerable
Recent Examples on the Web Even as Robert Aramayo has grown on me as Elrond, Clark’s Galadriel has become more and more intolerable with every episode. Erik Kain, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024 State of play: The pressure to step aside as a candidate has been rising to intolerable levels, especially over the past few days. Axios, 18 July 2024 And then, in these circles, there was obviously a form of complacency, of omertà, of habits that had been established and that are intolerable. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 9 Oct. 2024 As the war grows bloodier and more intolerable, the protest movement on campuses has grown increasingly radical. David Goldman, CNN, 9 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for intolerable 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'intolerable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin intolerabilis, from in- + tolerabilis tolerable

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of intolerable was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near intolerable

Cite this Entry

“Intolerable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intolerable. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

intolerable

adjective
in·​tol·​er·​a·​ble (ˈ)in-ˈtäl-(ə-)rə-bəl How to pronounce intolerable (audio)
-ˈtäl-ər-bəl
: not tolerable : unbearable
intolerable pain
intolerably adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on intolerable

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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