unspeakable

adjective

un·​speak·​able ˌən-ˈspē-kə-bəl How to pronounce unspeakable (audio)
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 wordsL. P. Smith
unspeakable collections of consonantsRosemary Jellis
unspeakably adverb

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 And there were people in that room – first of all, of tremendous grief, unspeakable frustration and anger. CBS News, 3 Mar. 2024 From unspeakable tragedies, to handbags, to dazzling football and incredible drama. Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Throughout the unspeakable cruelty — and a few acts of kindness — young Sarr projects inextinguishable hope, holding on to the belief that on the other side of the water, on the shores of Italy, something worth all the sorrow may await him. Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2024 If the gender binary melts away, if heterosexuality is no longer the default assumption, if parasites enter the building and dismantle the tenants, something unspeakable will skitter across—and that is the point of any erotic effusion worth pursuing. Becca Rothfeld, The New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2024 The unspeakable has become the unnecessary to be spoken. Jesse Green, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2024 Loyola Marymount suffered an unspeakable tragedy in the 1990 West Coast Conference Tournament when burly forward Hank Gathers collapsed on the court and later died of heart condition. John Marshall, USA TODAY, 19 Jan. 2024 The weight of the unsaid and the unspeakable, the lost and the left out, hangs over the poem’s head. New York Times, 2 Nov. 2023 This was a composer tasked with saying the unsayable against the unspeakable. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 26 Jan. 2024

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.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of unspeakable was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near unspeakable

Cite this Entry

“Unspeakable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unspeakable. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unspeakable

adjective
un·​speak·​able ˌən-ˈspē-kə-bəl How to pronounce unspeakable (audio)
ˈən-
1
: impossible to express in words
unspeakable beauty of the sunset
2
: extremely bad
unspeakable conduct
unspeakably adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on unspeakable

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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