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Glite Dictionary
indescribability

indescribability

9.8
Something you cannot say in words
  • noun
  • /ˌɪndɪˌskraɪbəˈbɪlɪti/
translation icon : indescriptibilidad
  • The pastor was Lorenz Ludolf, whose comments about the indescribability of the suffering in his village were noted at the beginning of this paper.

Examples

  • Indescribability separated the Israelite God from all other ancient gods who could be rendered visible in art.

    Academic text (1992)

  • The indescribability of the artwork captivated everyone, as no one could articulate its profound impact.

  • The beauty of the sunset was pure indescribability, leaving us speechless as the colors streaked across the sky.

  • Her joy at the surprise party was filled with indescribability, making it hard for her to find the right words.

Synonyms

indescribableness
vsindescribability
9.9

A state that is impossible or very hard to describe in words

is the more common modern spelling rather than the alternative
inexpressibility
vsindescribability
8.9

A feeling or idea too hard to say in words

is about difficulty in giving a description rather than general expression
inexpressiveness
vsindescribability
8.9

Hard to describe in words

is the state of being impossible to describe specifically rather than general lack
ineffability
vsindescribability
9.9

A state of being impossible to fully describe in words

is about being impossible or extremely hard to describe rather than incomplete capture
indefinability
vsindescribability
9.9

A state where you cannot describe something exactly

is about being hard or impossible to put into words rather than precise definition
unspeakability
vsindescribability
9.6

A feeling or event too terrible to describe in words

is about general difficulty of description, not necessarily emotional terror

How Describable

describable
1 2.7
indescribability
9.8

Surface Forms

indescribability singular
indescribabilities plural

Morphology

indescribability = indescribable (transparent) = in + describe + able + ity

This is a standard noun formation from the adjective 'indescribable', meaning the state or quality of being indescribable.

Etymology

Indescribability breaks into in- 'not', describe 'to say or write about something', and -ability 'ability or state', and describe is related to scribe 'write'. So, indescribability is the quality of being 'not able to be put into words'.