implacable
9
8.6
- adjective
- /ɪmˈplækəbl/
- Formal
:
implacable
- The younger girl looked hard now, implacable, and that was something Eddie was not accustomed to seeing.
- an implacable enemy
- implacable hostility
- an implacable foe
They just make brief patterns in it, inch by inch, implacable as a glacier and far colder.
- They just make brief patterns in it, inch by inch, implacable as a glacier and far colder.
Examples
-
He fell to his knees and pleaded for his life, but I was implacable.
-
I have negotiated peace treaties between implacable enemies.
-
Instead, he gets a determined and implacable look on his face.
Fiction book (1997) -
The present king is our implacable opponent.
-
Any attempt on Brandon's part to discipline the boys had met with implacable resistance from their mother.
Fiction book (2000) -
The reluctant U.S. interventionism of the 1990s made no headway against this implacable enemy.
Academic text (2002) -
Israel's struggles against its implacable opponents also touch many responsive chords around the world.
Academic text (2013) -
The community faced implacable opposition to the proposed changes.
-
Despite their efforts, the rivalries remained implacable and showed no signs of resolution.
-
Her implacable determination led her to win the competition against all odds.
Synonyms
131
5.1
Keeps going without stopping and stays very strong
43
4.4
Continuing with an action despite problems or opposition
28
7.0
Not stopping and not getting less strong
22
5.8
Being firm in belief or support that does not change
16
3.3
Hard to remove or cure even after trying
11
8.6
Impossible to stop or change
10
6.5
Very firm in decisions and not willing to change or give up
8
4.8
Very strong belief or feeling that cannot be changed
1
7.0
Not willing to change your mind even under pressure
A person who does not change their opinion when others try to persuade them
Someone or something that keeps going despite attempts to stop it
Antonyms
How Relentless
Surface Forms
Morphology
implacable = placable (semi-transparent) = im + plac + able
The adjective is formed by prefixing 'im-' to 'placable' in a regular way, but 'placable' (and the root 'plac') is relatively uncommon, so the negated meaning is only partly obvious to learners who do not know 'placate'/'placable'.
Etymology
Implacable comes from Latin parts im- meaning 'not' and placare meaning 'to calm', the same root you see in placate. So an implacable person or enemy is 'not calmable' and cannot be made peaceful.