untouchable 1 of 2

adjective

ˌən-ˈtə-chə-bəl How to pronounce untouchable (audio)
Definition of untouchablenext
1
as in inaccessible
hard or impossible to get to or get at untouchable oil lying deep within the earth

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sacred
not to be violated, criticized, or tampered with an untouchable target for criticism as far as the local newspaper was concerned

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

untouchable

2 of 2

noun

as in outcast

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Dissimilar Words

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 untouchable
Adjective
Every second of White Nights is steeped in a longing for the impossible, which is maybe why its beauty feels so untouchable, so unexplainable even to this day. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 July 2026 Months of deposits came off—even the stubborn stuff between the steel rows, untouchable by other methods. — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 July 2026
Noun
Two hundred million of them are Dalit, or what used to be called untouchables. — Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2019 The relative increase in the Muslim population that the census had established, and the uncertain status of untouchables and tribal groups as Hindus for enumeration purposes made the definition of a Hindu all the more critical. — Vikram Sampath, Quartz India, 20 Aug. 2019 See All Example Sentences for untouchable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for untouchable
  1. inaccessible
  2. sacred
  3. outcast
  4. unavailable
  5. holy
  6. pariah
  7. leper
  8. outsider
Adjective
  • In the days after the flood, a National Guard helicopter deposited Jarrett in the canyon, which had become inaccessible by car.
    — Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 27 July 2026
  • This summer, the Pentagon went a step further and declared that its press office was now a classified space inaccessible to journalists.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
Definition of inaccessible
Adjective
  • This place has a mysterious spiritual atmosphere, shaped by the idea of sacred cosmic energy and stories of warriors who gained supernatural powers through intense training.
    — Shivani Vora, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • Delta musicians also often used call-and-response patterns, which were common in African music and were used in other blues styles and in African American sacred music, including spirituals.
    — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026
Definition of sacred
Noun
  • That’s a long journey for a kid who grew up in rural New Jersey as a nerdy outcast who found escape in comics and art.
    — Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • While developing Se-jeong, Yeon envisioned a character who was an outcast but not someone weakened by isolation.
    — Rachael Jung, Variety, 26 July 2026
Definition of outcast
Adjective
  • Center backs Maxi Falcon and Gonzalo Lujan remained unavailable while recovering from calf strains.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Cases can be delayed Chief Deputy District Attorney Wendell Emerson said courthouse ICE arrests can delay criminal cases when defendants become unavailable but said prosecutors have tools to continue pursuing cases.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of unavailable
Adjective
  • The arson attacks highlight a surge in settler violence, mounting criticism of Netanyahu’s government and global calls — including from the Vatican — to protect holy sites and avert wider conflict.
    — Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026
  • Southern Paiutes will still hold Grand Staircase as the holy land where the Creator placed them.
    — Kerri J. Malloy, The Conversation, 23 July 2026
Definition of holy
Noun
  • Among the blunders of the first round was to turn Iran from a pariah state into a sympathetic one.
    — Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026
  • It's went from a technological prowess to a territorial pariah, and for a small nation, that's not survivable.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 12 July 2026
Definition of pariah
Noun
  • The best part of the movie is Murray Bartlett’s wise leper, a man who for the vast majority of his screen time is covered head to toe.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 26 June 2026
  • Robin also strikes up a friendship with a soulful, philosophical leper (Murray Bartlett, covered in wrappings from head to toe), who somehow recognizes his good qualities.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 11 June 2026
Definition of leper
Noun
  • But a July 29 SFGATE story about the city of San Diego closing more than half of the 23 restrooms at a park that had 15 million visitors in 2025 — to save a measly $546,000 — illustrated what Gloria’s arguments look like to outsiders.
    — U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
  • That’s left arbitrators using a process that’s frustratingly opaque to outsiders.
    — Lisa Jarvis, Mercury News, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of outsider

Browse Nearby Words

untold
untouchable
untouchables
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Cite this Entry

“Untouchable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untouchable. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on untouchable

Nglish: Translation of untouchable for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about untouchable

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