inexpressible

adjective

in·​ex·​press·​ible ˌi-nik-ˈspre-sə-bəl How to pronounce inexpressible (audio)
: not capable of being expressed : indescribable
inexpressible joy
inexpressibility noun
inexpressibleness noun
inexpressibly adverb

Examples of inexpressible in a Sentence

overcome by an inexpressible awe at the sight of the thunderous waterfall
Recent Examples on the Web The void left by her absence over the years is inexpressible. CBS News, 9 Jan. 2024 Set against Australia’s breath-taking, natural landscape and with native wildflowers and plants providing a way to express the inexpressible, this enthralling family drama spans decades. Josie Howell | Jhowell@al.com, al, 1 Aug. 2023 There was a graceful finality about her performance, a melancholy blend of joy and loss that seemed to capture the inexpressible, exquisite heartbreak of grief and nostalgia. Ew Staff, EW.com, 8 Dec. 2022 As Joe, Walker has a nearly campy intensity that captures the inexpressible fear of war’s consequences at the root of the role—and that the script itself, by Robert Nathan and Joseph Schrank, catches. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 10 June 2022 Now, finally, the cell itself dissolves away into an abstract chemical machine—and that into some intangible, inexpressible flow of energy. Loren C. Eiseley, Harper’s Magazine , 27 Apr. 2022 And your desire to continue to excavate and express the inexpressible doesn’t leave you. New York Times, 21 Apr. 2022 Losing his best friend was an inexpressible loss, but there was little time to grieve. The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2022 During the Vietnam era, according to these studies, these women were full of inexpressible rage against both their absent husbands and the pressures to satisfy their husbands’ emotional needs while endlessly stifling their own. Charlotte Gray, WSJ, 9 Jan. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inexpressible.' 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

1625, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of inexpressible was in 1625

Dictionary Entries Near inexpressible

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

inexpressible

adjective
in·​ex·​press·​ible ˌin-ik-ˈspres-ə-bəl How to pronounce inexpressible (audio)
: impossible to express : indescribable
inexpressible joy
inexpressibly adverb

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