Standard Lemma guide

unspeakable

adj · noun · 9 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 N S P IY1 K AH0 B AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Incapable of being spoken or uttered.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 1855-1882, Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, book xv, The endless pride and outstretching of man, unspeakable joys and sorrows.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unutterable, ineffable, inexpressible

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Impossible to speak about.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Unfit or not permitted to be spoken or described.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unutterable, undiscussable

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Extremely bad or objectionable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • an unspeakable fool
  • an unspeakable play

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

That cannot be referenced in source code, due to having no usable name.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, programming, sciences

Examples

  • an instance of an unspeakable type

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

Something that cannot or must not be spoken about.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Near-synonym: unthinkable

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unthinkable

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

defying expression or description

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • indefinable yearnings
  • indescribable beauty
  • ineffable ecstasy
  • inexpressible anguish
  • unspeakable happiness
  • unutterable contempt
  • a thing of untellable splendor

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: indefinable, indescribable, ineffable, untellable, unutterable

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective satellite

Meaning 8

exceptionally bad or displeasing

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • atrocious taste
  • abominable workmanship
  • an awful voice
  • dreadful manners
  • a painful performance
  • terrible handwriting
  • an unspeakable odor came sweeping into the room

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: atrocious, abominable, awful, dreadful, painful, terrible

Antonyms: none provided

9

adjective satellite

Meaning 9

too sacred to be uttered

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the ineffable name of the Deity

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ineffable, unnameable, unutterable

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English unspekable, equivalent to un- + speakable.

Across languages

Translations

33 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: indicible — incapable of being spoken or uttered
  • Chinese Mandarin: 說不得 /说不得 (shuōbude) — incapable of being spoken or uttered
  • Czech: nevýslovný — incapable of being spoken or uttered
  • Esperanto: nedirebla — incapable of being spoken or uttered
  • Finnish: sanomaton — incapable of being spoken or uttered
  • Finnish: sanoinkuvaamaton — incapable of being spoken or uttered
  • French: indicible — incapable of being spoken or uttered
  • German: unsäglich — incapable of being spoken or uttered
  • Greek: ανείπωτος (aneípotos) — incapable of being spoken or uttered
  • Greek: άφατος (áfatos) — incapable of being spoken or uttered
  • Italian: indicibile — incapable of being spoken or uttered
  • Japanese: 言い知れぬ (iishirenu) — incapable of being spoken or uttered
  • Japanese: 口では言えない (kuchi de wa ienai) — incapable of being spoken or uttered
  • Polish: niewypowiedziany — incapable of being spoken or uttered
  • Polish: niewysłowiony — incapable of being spoken or uttered
  • Portuguese: indizível — incapable of being spoken or uttered
  • Russian: непередава́емый (neperedavájemyj) — incapable of being spoken or uttered
  • Russian: несказа́нный (neskazánnyj) — incapable of being spoken or uttered
  • Russian: неопису́емый (neopisújemyj) — incapable of being spoken or uttered
  • Spanish: indecible — incapable of being spoken or uttered
  • Telugu: చెప్పరాని (cepparāni) — incapable of being spoken or uttered
  • Dutch: onbeschrijfelijk — unfit to be described
  • Finnish: sopimaton — unfit to be described
  • Finnish: saastainen — unfit to be described
  • French: innommable — unfit to be described
  • Gothic: 𐌿𐌽𐌵𐌴𐌸𐍃 (unqēþs) — unfit to be described
  • Greek: άρρητος (árritos) — unfit to be described
  • Ancient Greek: ἄρρητος (árrhētos) — unfit to be described
  • Latin: infandus — unfit to be described
  • Finnish: käsittämätön — extremely bad
  • French: innommable — extremely bad
  • French: inqualifiable — extremely bad
  • Latin: infandus — extremely bad
Real reading context

unspeakable in complete knowledge articles

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