UNSPEAKABLE Synonyms: 27 Similar and Opposite Words

unspeakable

adjective

ˌən-ˈspē-kə-bəl

Definition of unspeakable

as in incredible

beyond the power to describe continually encountered unspeakable beauty in their travels through the Alps

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of unspeakable On-screen, stars depict unspeakable acts of violence and cruelty. — Michael O’Donnell, The Atlantic, 2 July 2026 When once-unspeakable truths break through and are finally said aloud, that is a win. — Marcus Anthony Hunter, Time, 19 June 2026 The prosecution claims David did this unspeakable crime while in the grips of a night terror, and his friends and family seemingly believe that story. — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 18 June 2026 This is a story devoid of childlike wonder, just the horrific evil men are capable of and the small acts of grace found in unspeakable circumstances. — Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly, 13 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for unspeakable

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unspeakable

Adjective

For kids and teens, this can be an incredible way to experience the world up close and personal with the familiarity and comfort that comes from your hotel traveling with you.

— Judy Koutsky, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
The night sky has incredible depth, and there's nowhere better to learn how to appreciate that than when gazing at the Summer Triangle.

— Jamie Carter, Space.com, 24 July 2026

Definition of incredible

Adjective

The brain-squeezing rush of those starts is nearly indescribable.

— Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 15 July 2026
Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin’s totally indescribable HBO series was both a grand evolution of the Tim Robinson experience and a wildly original contribution to what television could be and feel like.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 8 July 2026

Definition of indescribable

Adjective

An idle scroll through any social media feed will reveal violent language against Jewish people that was considered widely unutterable a few years ago.

— Alexander Smith, NBC news, 1 May 2026
Stripped of orchestral arrangement, the emotion in Ross’s voice provokes that unutterable connection that makes singer and listener one in a desire to act in the present for the present.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Dec. 2025

Definition of unutterable

Adjective

This Dansk Kobenstyle enameled casserole dish with its geometric handles and subtle curves manages to be both stylish and understated in that ineffable Scandinavian way.

— Clara Hillis, Architectural Digest, 22 July 2026
Too much wanting for something ineffable, something that feels more like absence than body, the negative space around a someone.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026

Definition of ineffable

Adjective

The universe of the film, as all of Nolan’s worlds are, is one drawn from the muted colors of reluctant determination and it’s structured by a gravity of inexpressible guilt.

— Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 17 July 2026
Much like the famed British poets of World War I, who sought to express the inexpressible, Abu Toha strives to capture the unspeakable carnage, futility, and despair of war.

— Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025

Definition of inexpressible

Adjective

But because some crucial part of artistic expression is always slipping toward the incommunicable, the most powerful art is sometimes less a dialogue than a soliloquy.

— Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 16 May 2026
Margaret would whisper in the dark and laugh quietly, entertained by her own incommunicable thoughts.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Apr. 2026

Definition of incommunicable

Adjective

Our movie tastes are determined by some indefinable electrical current of enthusiasm or joy or deep, radiating sadness, or some combination of the three.

— Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
Of course, beauty is subject to taste and culture and all sorts of indefinable things.

— Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026

Definition of indefinable

Browse Nearby Words

unsparingly

unspeakable

unspeakably

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Unspeakable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unspeakable. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of unspeakable

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on unspeakable

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

parochial

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples

Popular in Wordplay

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes