interminable
adjective
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We promise not to ramble on endlessly about the origins of interminable. This word was borrowed into English in the 15th century, from a Latin word combining the prefix in- ("not") and the verb terminare, meaning "to terminate" or "to limit." Interminable describes not only something without an actual end (or no end in sight, such as "interminable traffic"), but also events, such as tedious lectures, that drag on in such a way that they give no clear indication of ever wrapping up. Some relatives of interminable in English include terminate, determine, terminal, and exterminate.
Examples of interminable in a Sentence
Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
Little happens other than chain-smoking, costume changes and interminable shots of color-shifting strobe lighting splaying across the cast’s cheekbones.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2026
Despite the outraged headlines, the proposal doesn’t go very far in allowing these products to meander through the interminable federal review process.
—Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 8 May 2026
The dialogue soon grew interminable.
—Quanta Magazine, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for interminable
Cite this Entry
“Interminable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interminable. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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interminable
adjective
