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indescribability

indescribability

9.8
Something you cannot say in words
  • noun
  • /ˌɪndɪˌskraɪbəˈbɪlɪti/
: 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

ineffability
vsindescribability
1 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
inexpressibility
vsindescribability
1 8.9

A feeling or idea too hard to say in words

is about difficulty in giving a description rather than general expression
unspeakability
vsindescribability
1 9.6

A feeling or event too terrible to describe in words

is about general difficulty of description, not necessarily emotional terror
indefinability
vsindescribability
1 9.9

A state where you cannot describe something exactly

is about being hard or impossible to put into words rather than precise definition
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
inexpressiveness
vsindescribability
8.9

Hard to describe in words

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

How Describable

describable
1 2.7
indescribability
9.8
ineffability
1 9.9

Surface Forms

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'.