unspeakable
adjective
un·speak·able
ˌən-ˈspē-kə-bəl 
1
a
: incapable of being expressed in words : unutterable
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
L. P. Smithunspeakable collections of consonants—Rosemary Jellis
Rosemary JellisExamples 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
Rose Ayling-Ellis, an English television presenter and writer of children’s books whose previous acting credits include EastEnders and Casualty, plays that lone survivor of an unspeakable incident, named Aliss.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 23 Apr. 2025
Published in 1946 and translated into 50 languages with more than 16 million copies sold, Frankl’s account follows his time in the Nazi concentration camps and his exploration of the human will to find meaning in spite of unspeakable adversity.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2025
The last 17 months have seen unspeakable destruction and death wrought upon a people who, during the previous 20 years, lived under blockade by the Israeli military and the brutal regime of Hamas.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Those moments when intuitions remain unspoken and unspeakable are only part of life.
—Yiyun Li, The New Yorker, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unspeakable
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Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 23 Apr. 2025
Published in 1946 and translated into 50 languages with more than 16 million copies sold, Frankl’s account follows his time in the Nazi concentration camps and his exploration of the human will to find meaning in spite of unspeakable adversity.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2025
The last 17 months have seen unspeakable destruction and death wrought upon a people who, during the previous 20 years, lived under blockade by the Israeli military and the brutal regime of Hamas.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Those moments when intuitions remain unspoken and unspeakable are only part of life.
—Yiyun Li, The New Yorker, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unspeakable
Cite this Entry
“Unspeakable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unspeakable. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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