inaudible

1 of 2

adjective

in·​au·​di·​ble (ˌ)i-ˈnȯ-də-bəl 

: not audible

inaudible comments

inaudibility

(ˌ)i-ˌnȯ-də-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

inaudibly

(ˌ)i-ˈnȯ-də-blē 

adverb

inaudibility

2 of 2

noun

in·​audibility (¦)in 

ən+

: the quality or state of being inaudible

Did you know?

With its negative prefix in-, inaudible means the opposite of audible. What's clearly audible to you may be inaudible to your elderly grandfather. Modern spy technology can turn inaudible conversations into audible ones with the use of high-powered directional microphones, so if you think you're being spied on, make sure there's a lot of other noise around you. And if you don't want everyone around you to know you're bored, keep your sighs inaudible.

Examples of inaudible in a Sentence

Adjective

She spoke so quietly that she was almost inaudible.

The sound is inaudible to humans but can be heard by dogs.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

But this wasn’t nearly enough for Joy Division’s rabid fanbase, and there’s been a thriving black market for bootleg concert recordings for decades, even though the sound quality of most of the tapes varies from half-decent to borderline inaudible. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2026

The question was not read in open court; Sullivan spoke with attorneys at sidebar about the request, and the discussion was inaudible to others in the courtroom. — Melina Khan, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026

They are often seen during breaks chatting with one another, with their arms around one another’s shoulders during inaudible bench discussions. — Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026

The sound stage felt bludgeoned into submission throughout, as the intense distortion of bass, percussion and guitars made the instrument separation within the mix almost inaudible. — Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Late Latin inaudibilis, from Latin in- + Late Latin audibilis audible

First Known Use

Adjective

1601, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for inaudible

• audible
• laudable

Kids Definition

inaudible

adjective

in·​au·​di·​ble (ˈ)in-ˈȯd-ə-bəl 

: impossible to hear : not audible

inaudibility

(ˌ)in-ˌȯd-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

inaudibly

(ˈ)in-ˈȯd-ə-blē 

adverb