irreparable

adjective

ir·​rep·​a·​ra·​ble i-ˈre-p(ə-)rə-bəl 

ˌi(r)-

also nonstandard

ˌir-(r)ə-ˈper-ə-bəl 

: not reparable : irremediable

irreparable damage

irreparableness noun

irreparably

i-ˈre-p(ə-)rə-blē 

ˌi(r)-

also nonstandard ˌir-(r)ə-ˈper-ə-blē

adverb

Synonyms of irreparable

• irreversible
• irremediable
• irretrievable

Examples of irreparable in a Sentence

The oil spill did irreparable harm to the bay.

The damage to their relationship was irreparable.

Recent Examples on the Web

Duke says Mensah transferring would cause irreparable harm, meaning a kind of harm that monetary damages can’t fix. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 20 Jan. 2026

The current tariff battle, however, threatens irreparable harm to the alliance, representing its worst schism in its nearly 80-year history. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 18 Jan. 2026

Defense counsel pushed back, arguing prior incidents had already shown the harm could be irreparable, referencing a previous hearing in which a news outlet allegedly hired a lip-reader and published claims about what was said. —Michael Ruiz , Adriana James-Rodil , Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 16 Jan. 2026

The rescue discovered her injury was an irreparable break and decided that the best path forward was amputation surgery. —Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 13 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin irreparabilis, from in- + reparabilis reparable

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for irreparable

• separable
• inseparable

Kids Definition

irreparable

adjective

ir·​rep·​a·​ra·​ble (ˈ)ir-ˈ(r)ep-(ə-)rə-bəl 

: not capable of being repaired or regained

an irreparable loss

irreparably

-blē 

adverb

Legal Definition

irreparable

adjective

ir·​rep·​a·​ra·​ble i-ˈre-pə-rə-bəl, -prə-bəl 

: impossible to repair, remedy, or undo

irreparably adverb