Standard Lemma guide

inenarrable

adj · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ɪnɪˈnæɹəb(ə)l/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

That cannot be told; indescribable, inexpressible, unspeakable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: formal, literary

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unnarratable, indescribable, indefinable, undescribable, indicible, inexpressible, untold, ineffable, inenarrable, inutterable, nameless, termless, undefinable, unnameable, unspecifiable, unspeakable, unutterable

Antonyms: enarrable, explainable, expressible, narratable, articulable, describable, enunciable, pronounceable, sayable, speakable, utterable, verbalizable

History

Etymology

Learned borrowing from French inénarrable, from Latin inēnārrābilis (“indescribable”), from in- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + ēnārrābilis (“describable, explainable”). Ēnārrābilis is derived from ēnārrāre + -bilis (suffix forming adjectives indicating a capacity or worth of being acted upon); ēnārrāre is the present active infinitive of ēnārrō (“to explain in detail, expound”), from ē- (a variant of ex- (prefix meaning ‘away; out; thoroughly’)) + narrō (“to say; to relate, tell; to describe; to recount, report”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh3- (“to know”)). The English word is analysable as in- + enarrable. Compare ignorant and -able for the components.

Across languages

Translations

21 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 難以描述的 /难以描述的 (nányǐmiáoshùde) — that cannot be told — see also indescribable, inexpressible
  • Danish: ubestrivelig — that cannot be told — see also indescribable, inexpressible
  • Danish: uudsigelig — that cannot be told — see also indescribable, inexpressible
  • Dutch: onuitsprekelijk — that cannot be told — see also indescribable, inexpressible
  • Dutch: onvertelbaar — that cannot be told — see also indescribable, inexpressible
  • Estonian: kirjeldamatu — that cannot be told — see also indescribable, inexpressible
  • Estonian: sõnulseletamatu — that cannot be told — see also indescribable, inexpressible
  • Estonian: väljendamatu — that cannot be told — see also indescribable, inexpressible
  • French: inénarrable — that cannot be told — see also indescribable, inexpressible
  • Galician: inenarrábel — that cannot be told — see also indescribable, inexpressible
  • German: unaussprechlich — that cannot be told — see also indescribable, inexpressible
  • German: unerzählbar — that cannot be told — see also indescribable, inexpressible
  • Hungarian: elbeszélhetlen — that cannot be told — see also indescribable, inexpressible
  • Hungarian: elmondhatatlan — that cannot be told — see also indescribable, inexpressible
  • Italian: inenarrabile — that cannot be told — see also indescribable, inexpressible
  • Latin: inēnārrābilis — that cannot be told — see also indescribable, inexpressible
  • Portuguese: inenarrável — that cannot be told — see also indescribable, inexpressible
  • Spanish: inenarrable — that cannot be told — see also indescribable, inexpressible
  • Welsh: anadroddadwy — that cannot be told — see also indescribable, inexpressible
  • Welsh: anhydraeth — that cannot be told — see also indescribable, inexpressible
  • Welsh: annhraethadwy — that cannot be told — see also indescribable, inexpressible