unbearable

adjective

un·​bear·​able ˌən-ˈber-ə-bəl 

: not bearable : unendurable

unbearable pain

unbearably

ˌən-ˈber-ə-blē 

adverb

Synonyms of unbearable

• intolerable
• intense
• extreme
• overwhelming
• unendurable
• terrible
• insufferable
• unacceptable
• harsh
• painful

Examples of unbearable in a Sentence

We were in an almost unbearable state of excitement.

this heat is unbearable—when are we going to get air-conditioning?

Recent Examples on the Web

Depending on your tolerance for grand aims and liturgical self-seriousness, her latest album may strike you as extraordinary or unbearable. — Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 2026

Food waste ruined amid the blaze took more than two months to clean up as the operation missed several deadlines set by the city, leading to unbearable odors in the area and rodent infestations. — Austin Turner, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026

And beneath all this grief, all this disbelief, all this unbearable heartache, is the simplest, most devastating truth. — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Oct. 2026

For the shame and regret are unbearable, and maybe there’s a way out, like at Nana’s, when everyone played that game, the hunt for the hidden key. — Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unbearable

• arable
• bearable
• parable
• terrible
• wearable
• repairable

Kids Definition

unbearable

adjective

un·​bear·​able ˌən-ˈbar-ə-bəl 

ˈən-, 

-ˈber-

: greater than can be borne

unbearable pain

unbearably

-blē 

adverb