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

Our hearts go out to the innocent juvenile victim of this unspeakable crime and her family. —CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026

Our hearts go out to the innocent juvenile victim of this unspeakable crime and her family. —Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026

For the time being, the work of reinvigorating the union takes a backseat to new calls to divulge once unspeakable secrets. —James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026

Inspiring unspeakable dread across an entire country doesn’t require much planning—just some warped ideas and a cellphone. —Juliette Kayyem, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2026

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