ineffable

play

adjective in·ef·fa·ble \ (ˌ)i-ˈne-fə-bəl \

Definition of ineffable

1 a :incapable of being expressed in words :indescribable

ineffable joy

b :unspeakable

ineffable disgust

2 :not to be uttered :taboo

the ineffable name of Jehovah

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ineffability

play \(ˌ)i-ˌne-fə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

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ineffableness

play \(ˌ)i-ˈne-fə-bəl-nəs\ noun

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ineffably

play \(ˌ)i-ˈne-fə-blē\ adverb

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ineffable was our Word of the Day on 12/04/2008. Hear the podcast!

Examples of ineffable in a Sentence

an ineffable beauty descends upon the canyon as the sun begins to set

Recent Examples of ineffable from the Web

Fish sauce is the ingredient that gives certain dishes in the cuisines of Vietnam, Laos, Burma/Myanmar, Korea, Japan and beyond an ineffable savory, umami punch.

— bethany jean clement, The Seattle Times, "Seattle top chefs share a top flavor-boosting ingredient," 21 Aug. 2017
Though some may see our jobs as frivolous, curators understand that clothes reveal ineffable truths about not just individual lives, but also collective values and experiences.

— kimberly chrisman-campbell, The Atlantic, "Confessions of a Costume Curator," 18 Aug. 2017
Richie raises his digital camera and captures their shy smiles, recording their ineffable bond with a single click.

— andrea simakis, cleveland.com, "When love and loss are multiplied - remembering a brother at Twins Days: Andrea Simakis," 13 Aug. 2017
Some things, like being blue, are meant to remain ineffable, impermanent, unnamable, unnamed.

— Longreads, "My Mongolian Spot," 1 Aug. 2017
With this change, something essential, something ineffable, is being lost which, once gone, will never be regained.

— varad mehta, National Review, "Why Can’t the Doctor Be More Like a Woman?," 22 July 2017
And that ineffable quality of style makes articles by British or American writers distinct, even in the absence of obvious shibboleths.

— The Economist, "Fears of British English’s disappearance are overblown," 20 July 2017
The British designer has made a career of transforming the ineffable cool of her countrywomen into something real girls can buy and wear.

— steff yotka, Vogue, "Bella Freud’s J Brand Collaboration Channels Retro Babes and Film Stars," 18 July 2017
The fact that such things do not happen anywhere else with anything approaching the same frequency—that too is the work of some ineffable mystery.

— david frum, The Atlantic, "When Prayer Alone Does Not Suffice," 14 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ineffable.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Breaking Down The Roots of ineffable

Every tone was a testimony against slavery, and a prayer to God for deliverance from chains. The hearing of those wild notes always depressed my spirit, and filled me with ineffable sadness, wrote Frederick Douglass in his autobiography. Reading Douglass's words, it's easy to see that ineffable means "indescribable" or "unspeakable." And when we break down the word to its Latin roots, it's easy to see how those meanings came about. "Ineffable" comes from "ineffabilis," which joins the prefix in-, meaning "not," with the adjective effabilis, meaning "capable of being expressed." "Effabilis" comes from "effari" ("to speak out"), which in turn comes from ex- and fari ("to speak").

Origin and Etymology of ineffable

Middle English, from Latin ineffabilis, from in- + effabilis capable of being expressed, from effari to speak out, from ex- + fari to speak — more at ban

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First Known Use: 14th century

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