Standard Lemma guide

inexpressible

adj · 2 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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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Unable to be expressed; not able to be put into words.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • She felt inexpressible contempt for her attackers.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective

Meaning 2

defying expression

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unexpressible

Antonyms: expressible

History

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 *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *-dhlom Proto-Indo-European *-dhlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ibilis Old French -ibleder. Middle English -ible English -ible English expressible English inexpressible From in- + expressible.

Across languages

Translations

18 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: inexpressable — unable to be expressed
  • Czech: nepopsatelný — unable to be expressed
  • Dutch: onuitsprekelijk — unable to be expressed
  • Esperanto: nedirebla — unable to be expressed
  • Finnish: sanoin kuvaamaton — unable to be expressed
  • French: inexprimable — unable to be expressed
  • Galician: inexpresable — unable to be expressed
  • Galician: inexpresábel — unable to be expressed
  • Greek: ανεκδιήγητος (anekdiígitos) — unable to be expressed
  • Ancient Greek: ἄσπετος (áspetos) — unable to be expressed
  • Italian: inesprimibile — unable to be expressed
  • Polish: niewysłowiony — unable to be expressed
  • Portuguese: inexpressável — unable to be expressed
  • Portuguese: inexprimível — unable to be expressed
  • Romanian: inexprimabil — unable to be expressed
  • Romanian: neexprimabil — unable to be expressed
  • Russian: невырази́мый (nevyrazímyj) — unable to be expressed
  • Spanish: inexpresable — unable to be expressed