interminable

adjective

in·​ter·​mi·​na·​ble (ˌ)in-ˈtər-mə-nə-bəl 

-ˈtərm-nə-

: having or seeming to have no end

especially : wearisomely protracted

an interminable sermon

interminableness noun

interminably

(ˌ)in-ˈtər-mə-nə-blē 

-ˈtərm-nə-

adverb

Did you know?

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

Recent Examples on the Web

He was told to sit on his bunk for the count, an interminable process that involved tallying every prisoner on the farm, from the men locked down in solitary cells to those wrangling cattle in far‑flung fields. —Literary Hub july 8, Literary Hub, 8 July 2025

Advertisement Advertisement After two interminable episodes, a bombshell resets the show, eliminating some of its worst excesses and contextualizing others. —Judy Berman, Time, 27 June 2025

Man United’s Leah Galton: Winning FA Cup with fractured leg and chasing a ‘bit of revenge’ against Chelsea Manchester United are in an interminable holding pattern, but will this XI change for the Europa League final? —Michael Cox, New York Times, 18 May 2025

Jones’ publicly stated desire to bail on this interminable Blackhawks rebuild — no matter how reasonable, no matter how maturely handled — isn’t going to help matters. —Mark Lazerus, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Late Latin interminabilis, from Latin in- + terminare to terminate

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for interminable

• terminable
• determinable
• indeterminable

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Kids Definition

interminable

adjective

in·​ter·​mi·​na·​ble (ˈ)in-ˈtərm-(ə-)nə-bəl 

: having or seeming to have no end

especially : tiresomely long

interminableness noun

interminably

-blē 

adverb