as in ineffable
beyond the power to describe
the vastness of the universe is incommunicable
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Recent Examples of incommunicable
Piranesi is a mystery, a mystery of the mind, a way for Clarke to communicate the incommunicable.
—
Jason Kehe, Wired, 21 Sep. 2020
And nothing is more isolating, more incommunicable, than the grief of a parent who has been unable to save their child’s life.
—Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2022
In a way, Tiffany’s rendering of fandom as specific and incommunicable risks undermining her premise, which has to do with the massed power of people online.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 28 June 2022
Abstract artists, including Alberto Burri, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Jack Whitten and Mark Bradford, all found unique ways to use such materials to conjure the weight of incommunicable things.
—Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2021
After more than a decade away, the author is back with Piranesi, a way to communicate the incommunicable.
—Jason Kehe, Wired, 21 Sep. 2020
But the works test, in the depths of the incommunicable, the degree of anyone’s courage to envisage the bad in life, the worse, and the almost inconceivably abysmal.
—Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2020
In one panel, Mary, at the foot of the cross, makes a recognizable gesture — suggesting grief or astonishment so great, so fundamentally incommunicable, that one covers one’s mouth — similar to that made by Matisse’s central bather.
—Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2020
What surprised me was the poetic potential of scurvy, with its awfulness and that terrible sense of isolation, when the possibility of ecstatic delights was inconceivable and incommunicable.
—National Geographic, 15 Jan. 2017
Jason Kehe, Wired, 21 Sep. 2020
And nothing is more isolating, more incommunicable, than the grief of a parent who has been unable to save their child’s life.
—Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2022
In a way, Tiffany’s rendering of fandom as specific and incommunicable risks undermining her premise, which has to do with the massed power of people online.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 28 June 2022
Abstract artists, including Alberto Burri, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Jack Whitten and Mark Bradford, all found unique ways to use such materials to conjure the weight of incommunicable things.
—Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2021
After more than a decade away, the author is back with Piranesi, a way to communicate the incommunicable.
—Jason Kehe, Wired, 21 Sep. 2020
But the works test, in the depths of the incommunicable, the degree of anyone’s courage to envisage the bad in life, the worse, and the almost inconceivably abysmal.
—Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2020
In one panel, Mary, at the foot of the cross, makes a recognizable gesture — suggesting grief or astonishment so great, so fundamentally incommunicable, that one covers one’s mouth — similar to that made by Matisse’s central bather.
—Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2020
What surprised me was the poetic potential of scurvy, with its awfulness and that terrible sense of isolation, when the possibility of ecstatic delights was inconceivable and incommunicable.
—National Geographic, 15 Jan. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incommunicable
Adjective
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As the stories of the Quechua people float layered over the visuals, the film draws something ineffable and sublime from the landscape in a way that would be out of scope for straight reportage.—
Mustafah Abdulaziz,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
-
Home for the Holidays (1995) Holly Hunter’s ineffable charm makes this Thanksgiving-centric movie a perfect rewatch for any time of year, not just on the third Thursday in November.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
And defensive ends Jarvis Moss and Derrick Harvey led an incredible performance against season-long No. 1 Ohio State, holding Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith and the Buckeyes to 82 total yards.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
-
At the end of December 2022, Heine reflected on her incredible year with a heartfelt post on Instagram.—
Kayla Grant,
People.com,
19 May 2025
Adjective
-
Historians are struggling to recover their inexpressible secrets.—
Erin Maglaque,
The New York Review of Books,
15 Nov. 2024
-
Historians are struggling to recover their inexpressible secrets.—
Erin Maglaque,
The New York Review of Books,
15 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
No matter how much authenticity a film production strives for in a Holocaust drama, the end product will never fully capture the indescribable horrors of the Nazi effort to exterminate Europe’s Jewish population during World War II.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
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Changes in estrogen levels during these times can lead to a host of symptoms that could contribute to an indescribable burning sensation.—
Cheyenne Buckingham,
SELF,
13 May 2025
Adjective
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Unencumbered by the stark binary of good and evil, Bring Her Back argues that love and longing can drive us to unspeakable acts.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
16 May 2025
-
Facing unspeakable evil with the greatest – and unsuspected – resolve a human being can ever hope for, Jean Moulin’s story reverberates until today.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
10 May 2025
Adjective
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Her work often explores indefinable experiences and emotions, intimacy, connection, and the body’s relationship to nature.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
19 Mar. 2025
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An indefinable musical by a French auteur is headed for millions of streaming subscribers.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
8 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Two high voices — LACO features soprano Amanda Forsythe and countertenor John Holiday — intertwine with the orchestra turning this hymn to the Virgin Mary’s suffering into unutterable sweetness and treating death as life’s engenderment.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2024
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In between loads of cartoonish ultraviolence and B-movie horror ephemera came some honestly unutterable lyrics, which Bill fought his faith to perform.—
Jonathan Rowe,
SPIN,
28 June 2022
Adjective
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Because these systems rely on machine learning, their inner workings are often proprietary, unexplainable and beyond meaningful public accountability.—
Nicole M. Bennett,
The Conversation,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Pulled in by a series of strange and unexplainable video clips, a brother and sister team up to investigate the events captured in the footage, only to discover a shocking secret that’s overtaking their small-town Texas community.—
Katcy Stephan,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Incommunicable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incommunicable. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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