unsayable
1
8.0
Impossible to take back once said
- adjective
- /ʌnˈseɪəbl/
:
irretractable
- His unsayable statement during the meeting left everyone in shock and silence.
Examples
-
Someone who would say the unsayable and then attempt retraction.
Fiction book (1998) -
After realizing the impact of her unsayable remark, she wished she could take it back.
-
Once the unsayable truth was revealed, there was no turning back for the relationship.
Antonyms
How Reversible
Surface Forms
unsayable positive
Morphology
Etymology
Unsayable comes from un- 'not' and say 'speak', and in this sense it means 'not able to be taken back'. Think of it this way: once certain words are out you cannot 'unsay' them, so they stay and change things.