ineffable

adjective

in·ef·fa·ble (ˌ)i-ˈne-fə-bəl How to pronounce ineffable (audio)

: incapable of being expressed in words : indescribable

ineffable joy

: unspeakable

ineffable disgust

: not to be uttered : taboo

the ineffable name of Jehovah

ineffability

(ˌ)i-ˌne-fə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce ineffable (audio)

noun

ineffableness

(ˌ)i-ˈne-fə-bəl-nəs How to pronounce ineffable (audio)

noun

ineffably

(ˌ)i-ˈne-fə-blē How to pronounce ineffable (audio)

adverb

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Breaking Down the Roots of Ineffable

"Every tone was a testimony against slavery, and a prayer to God for deliverance from chains. The hearing of those wild notes always depressed my spirit, and filled me with ineffable sadness," wrote Frederick Douglass in his autobiography. Reading Douglass's words, it's clear that ineffable means "indescribable" or "unspeakable." And when we break the word down to its Latin roots, we see how those meanings came about. Ineffable comes from ineffābilis, which joins the prefix in-, meaning "not," with the adjective effābilis, meaning "capable of being expressed." Effābilis comes from effārī, "to speak out," which in turn comes from ex- and fārī, meaning “to speak.”

Example Sentences

an ineffable beauty descends upon the canyon as the sun begins to set

Recent Examples on the Web There is something ineffable about a monarch's lying in state.

WSJ, 17 Sep. 2022 What is the ineffable deficit between very good and great?

Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Sep. 2022 Kenneth Tynan’s Profile, from 1979, captures her ineffable magic, as Tynan watches her old movies in a reverie, before introducing us to Brooks at seventy-one, arthritic and reclusive but still mesmerizing.

Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2022 Those who work in book publishing have answered the ineffable and not especially remunerative call to cultivate literature.

Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2022 When corporate executives are skeptical about translating that ineffable quality of trust into concrete performance metrics, Michael Bondar understands the sentiment.

Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2022 The film is simply one of those ineffable pieces of cinematic art one has to watch free of expectation, context, or plot knowledge.

Josh St. Clair, Men's Health, 18 Aug. 2022 An attempt to capture the ineffable feelings of kids as summer ends falls flat.

Matthew Lickona, National Review, 13 Aug. 2022 Since then, Tye’s research team has taken a step toward deciphering the biological underpinnings of such ineffable experiences as loneliness and competitiveness.

Ingrid Wickelgren, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2022 See More

单词	ineffable
释义	ineffable adjective in·ef·fa·ble (ˌ)i-ˈne-fə-bəl 1 a : incapable of being expressed in words : indescribable ineffable joy b : unspeakable ineffable disgust 2 : not to be uttered : taboo the ineffable name of Jehovah ineffability (ˌ)i-ˌne-fə-ˈbi-lə-tē noun ineffableness (ˌ)i-ˈne-fə-bəl-nəs noun ineffably (ˌ)i-ˈne-fə-blē adverb Did you know? Breaking Down the Roots of Ineffable "Every tone was a testimony against slavery, and a prayer to God for deliverance from chains. The hearing of those wild notes always depressed my spirit, and filled me with ineffable sadness," wrote Frederick Douglass in his autobiography. Reading Douglass's words, it's clear that ineffable means "indescribable" or "unspeakable." And when we break the word down to its Latin roots, we see how those meanings came about. Ineffable comes from ineffābilis, which joins the prefix in-, meaning "not," with the adjective effābilis, meaning "capable of being expressed." Effābilis comes from effārī, "to speak out," which in turn comes from ex- and fārī, meaning “to speak.” Synonyms incommunicable indefinable indescribable inenarrable inexpressible nameless uncommunicable unspeakable unutterable See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences an ineffable beauty descends upon the canyon as the sun begins to set Recent Examples on the Web There is something ineffable about a monarch's lying in state. WSJ, 17 Sep. 2022 What is the ineffable deficit between very good and great? Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Sep. 2022 Kenneth Tynan’s Profile, from 1979, captures her ineffable magic, as Tynan watches her old movies in a reverie, before introducing us to Brooks at seventy-one, arthritic and reclusive but still mesmerizing. Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2022 Those who work in book publishing have answered the ineffable and not especially remunerative call to cultivate literature. Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2022 When corporate executives are skeptical about translating that ineffable quality of trust into concrete performance metrics, Michael Bondar understands the sentiment. Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2022 The film is simply one of those ineffable pieces of cinematic art one has to watch free of expectation, context, or plot knowledge. Josh St. Clair, Men's Health, 18 Aug. 2022 An attempt to capture the ineffable feelings of kids as summer ends falls flat. Matthew Lickona, National Review, 13 Aug. 2022 Since then, Tye’s research team has taken a step toward deciphering the biological underpinnings of such ineffable experiences as loneliness and competitiveness. Ingrid Wickelgren, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2022 See More Word History Etymology Middle English, from Latin ineffabilis, from in- + effabilis capable of being expressed, from effari to speak out, from ex- + fari to speak — more at ban entry 1 First Known Use 14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a ineffable adjective as in indescribable beyond the power to describe an ineffable beauty descends upon the canyon as the sun begins to set Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance indescribable incredible inexpressible unspeakable indefinable unutterable incommunicable unexplainable inconceivable inexplicable unbelievable unimaginable uncommunicable nameless inenarrable unsayable unthinkable nondescript featureless characterless Antonyms & Near Antonyms communicable definable speakable expressible conceivable thinkable imaginable See More
随便看	unpleasure unpleated unpledged unpliable unpliableness unpliancy unpliant unplowed unplucked unplug unplugged unplugging unplugs unplumbed unplumbing unplumbs unplume unplumed unplumes unpluming unplundered unpocket unpoetic unpoetical unpointed

ineffable

adjective

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Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

adjective