inexpressible en · ADJ
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Italic *n̥- Latin in-bor. Middle English in- English in- English express Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom Proto-Italic *-ðlom Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ibilis Old French -ibleder. Middle English -ible English -ible English expressible English inexpressible From in- + expressible.
Meanings
-
Unable to be expressed; not able to be put into words.
She felt inexpressible contempt for her attackers.
She mixed furniture with the same fatal profligacy as she mixed drinks, and this outrageous contact between things which were intended by Nature to be kept poles apart gave her an inexpressible thrill.
1935, George Goodchild, chapter 1, in Death on the Centre Court:That noise, that awful clamour of uncouthness inexpressible, is the love-call of the storm bird!
1934, Henry G. Lamond, An Aviary on the Plains, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 205:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most inexpressible | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more inexpressible | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Deriveds
inexpressibly · inexpressibles · inexpressibleness
Relateds
inexpressibility · innumerous (counterparts in calculating) · unnumerable (counterparts in calculating) · incalculable (counterparts in calculating) · innumerable (counterparts in calculating)
Synonyms
inexpressable · unexpressable · unexpressible
Translations (19)
pt inexpressável (unable to be expressed) · fr inexpressible (unable to be expressed) · fi sanoin kuvaamaton (unable to be expressed) · gl inexpresable (unable to be expressed) · eo nedirebla (unable to be expressed) · ro inexprimabil (unable to be expressed) · ru невырази́мый (unable to be expressed) · pt inexprimível (unable to be expressed) · es inexpresable (unable to be expressed) · grc ἄσπετος (unable to be expressed) · nl onuitsprekelijk (unable to be expressed) · cs nepopsatelný (unable to be expressed) · fr inexprimable (unable to be expressed) · pl niewysłowiony (unable to be expressed) · el ανεκδιήγητος (unable to be expressed) · ca inexpressable (unable to be expressed) · it inesprimibile (unable to be expressed) · ro neexprimabil (unable to be expressed) · gl inexpresábel (unable to be expressed)