intolerable

adjective

(ˌ)in-ˈtä-lə-rə-bəl How to pronounce intolerable (audio)
Definition of intolerablenext
1
as in unbearable
more than can be put up with this stifling heat is intolerable

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in excessive
going beyond a normal or acceptable limit in degree or amount the intolerable haste with which the press passed judgment on the accused

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of intolerable Characters have become almost intolerable to watch outside of a small handful. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026 The thought of failure was intolerable. — Will Jeanes, New York Times, 20 June 2026 In particular, Jenna Fletcher, mom of three from the greater Philadelphia area, finds the sound of Blippi’s laugh intolerable. — Parents, 16 June 2026 The court said the distress lasts for one to three minutes, a timeframe that’s intolerable under the Constitution. — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 11 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for intolerable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intolerable
  1. unbearable
  2. excessive
  3. extreme
  4. insane
  5. steep
  6. extravagant
Adjective
  • The problem is Will Ferrell as Lonnie Hawkins, an utter miscalculation of characterization and performance chiefly responsible for turning what could be middling comedy into an unbearable slog.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 16 July 2026
  • The patient must be in an advanced or terminal stage, experiencing pain that cannot be relieved or is unbearable, and seeking lethal medication of their own free will.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 July 2026
Definition of unbearable
Adjective
  • Treatment methods Before prescribing TRT, doctors generally look for potentially reversible or temporary factors, including obesity, certain medications, untreated obstructive sleep apnea, acute illness and excessive alcohol use.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026
  • Used thoughtfully, such tools can help organizations identify patterns associated with burnout, including staffing imbalances, unsustainable workloads, excessive overtime or workflow bottlenecks.
    — Jennifer Lee, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of excessive
Adjective
  • His talent was extreme, but his introverted personality seemed at times to inhibit him on the World Cup stage, where the burden of trying to deliver glory for his country — as Maradona did so memorably in 1986 — weighed so heavily on his shoulders.
    — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • No one knows all the factors behind the population’s recent boom, although researchers point to recent extreme weather events and climate change, perhaps compounded with a rise in shipping traffic over recent decades.
    — Kasha Patel, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
Definition of extreme
Adjective
  • What saves Hyperdrive is the dry humour and the slightly insane set and character design.
    — William Worrall, Space.com, 15 July 2026
  • Every single story about his time in Hollywood was about a major movie, a major director, and lots of drugs and insane scandal.
    — William Earl, Variety, 14 July 2026
Definition of insane
Adjective
  • It was named so because the hill’s steep elevation was too trying for adults, and the lore goes that children hiked up to help pick grapes.
    — Kyle Lucia Wu, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 July 2026
  • The climb became steeper as the summit loomed ahead, and the sun burned brighter.
    — John Blake, CNN Money, 19 July 2026
Definition of steep
Adjective
  • The newlyweds, both 36, tied the knot in an extravagant ceremony at the iconic venue July 3, which took over the streets of Manhattan and required the New York Police to shut down the immediate vicinity.
    — Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 10 July 2026
  • New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has revealed how much Taylor Swift paid the city for her and Travis Kelce‘s extravagant Madison Square Garden wedding.
    — Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 10 July 2026
Definition of extravagant

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Cite this Entry

“Intolerable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intolerable. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on intolerable

Nglish: Translation of intolerable for Spanish Speakers

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