indefinably
- adverb
- /ˌɪndɪˈfaɪnəbli/
- It was like a roar in the desert that came in potent gusts, hysterical, with something indefinably painful.
Examples
-
Indefinably," Paul replied.
Fiction book (1990) -
These guys really get rock music; there's something indefinably effortlessly cool about their sound. Deerhunter makes me feel like I'm a teenager again hearing My Bloody Valentine or the Stone Roses for the first time.
Blog text (16) -
There is something indefinably different about her smile that makes it captivating.
-
He felt indefinably anxious before his presentation, unsure of how it would go.
-
The painting was indefinably beautiful, evoking feelings that were hard to express.
Synonyms
In a way that cannot be explained or understood
Very much in a way that is hard to describe
In a way that is so strong it is hard to put into words
It is very hard to understand
In a way that is so great it cannot be understood or believed
Very much in a way that words cannot describe
So strong that you cannot find words to describe it
So great that you cannot find words to describe it
You cannot know the exact meaning or result
Antonyms
How Definable
Surface Forms
Morphology
indefinably = indefinable (transparent) = in + define + able + ly
The adverb is formed regularly from the adjective 'indefinable' with '-ly', and its meaning is directly predictable.
Etymology
The word indefinably comes from in- meaning 'not' and define meaning 'to describe or set limits', the same root you see in define and definite. So indefinably means 'in a way that cannot be clearly described', like a feeling you notice but cannot put into words.