unbearable

adjective

un·​bear·​able ˌən-ˈber-ə-bəl 

: not bearable : unendurable

unbearable pain

unbearably

ˌən-ˈber-ə-blē 

adverb

Synonyms of unbearable

• intolerable
• intense
• extreme
• overwhelming
• unendurable
• terrible
• insufferable
• unacceptable
• harsh
• painful

Examples of unbearable in a Sentence

We were in an almost unbearable state of excitement.

this heat is unbearable—when are we going to get air-conditioning?

Recent Examples on the Web

The weight of the job, undertaken since 2017, sounded unbearable. — Nick Miller, New York Times, 24 July 2026

And once again, survivors are left behind, with their truth, their trauma, and the unbearable frustration of a system that never seems to deliver justice. — Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 22 July 2026

The problem is Will Ferrell as Lonnie Hawkins, an utter miscalculation of characterization and performance chiefly responsible for turning what could be middling comedy into an unbearable slog. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 16 July 2026

The patient must be in an advanced or terminal stage, experiencing pain that cannot be relieved or is unbearable, and seeking lethal medication of their own free will. — ABC News, 15 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unbearable

• arable
• bearable
• parable
• terrible
• wearable
• repairable

Kids Definition

unbearable

adjective

un·​bear·​able ˌən-ˈbar-ə-bəl 

ˈən-, 

-ˈber-

: greater than can be borne

unbearable pain

unbearably

-blē 

adverb