unspeakable

adjective

un·​speak·​able ˌən-ˈspē-kə-bəl 

1

a

: incapable of being expressed in words : unutterable

… each heaved a sigh of unspeakable relief.

—Frank Norris

b

: inexpressibly bad : horrendous

unspeakable living conditions

unspeakable evil

2

: that may not or cannot be spoken

… the bawdy thoughts that come into one's head—the unspeakable words …

—L. P. Smith

unspeakable collections of consonants

—Rosemary Jellis

unspeakably

ˌən-ˈspē-kə-blē 

adverb

Synonyms of unspeakable

• incredible
• indescribable
• unutterable
• ineffable
• inexpressible
• incommunicable
• indefinable

Examples of unspeakable in a Sentence

the unspeakable horror of war

continually encountered unspeakable beauty in their travels through the Alps

Recent Examples on the Web

There were moving scenes before play started as Adelaide paid a heartfelt tribute to those who lost their lives in the unspeakable Bondi Beach shootings on Sunday. —Tim Spiers, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025

Survivors of other unspeakable circles of exploitation got word of the evening and joined in solidarity. —Philip Elliott, Time, 11 Dec. 2025

Tragedy after tragedy of unspeakable intensity make this script the best feel-bad acid adventure ever filmed. —John Waters, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2025

For years, these women carried the weight of unspeakable atrocities while others tried to bury the truth. —Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

unspeakable

adjective

un·​speak·​able ˌən-ˈspē-kə-bəl 

ˈən-

1

: impossible to express in words

unspeakable beauty of the sunset

2

: extremely bad

unspeakable conduct

unspeakably

-blē 

adverb