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unexpressible

unexpressible

8.4
So strong or deep that words cannot describe it
  • adjective
  • /ˌʌnɪkˈsprɛsəbl/
translation icon : inexpresable
  • The joy I felt upon seeing my family after years apart was completely unexpressible.

Examples

  • His grief was so profound that it left him with an unexpressible sense of loss.

  • As she listened to the powerful symphony, an unexpressible emotion washed over her.

  • "He heard horrible bellowings and roarings, and there was an unexpressible stink."

    Blog text (31)

Synonyms

unspeakable
vsunexpressible
58 7.2

Too terrible to describe in words

is used for very strong or unusual things without implying badness
indescribable
vsunexpressible
21 5.4

So wonderful or strange that words cannot show it

focuses on strength or oddness rather than positive wonder
ineffable
vsunexpressible
  • Formal
8 9.5

So great that words cannot describe it

speaks of intense or unusual quality without sacred or religious meaning
inexpressible
vsunexpressible
3 7.5

A feeling so strong that you cannot describe it in words

focuses on being too strong intense or unusual rather than mere inability
undefinable
vsunexpressible
3 6.8

Hard to describe exactly in words

refers to extreme or unusual quality rather than mere lack of precise definition
unutterable
vsunexpressible
  • Literature
1 8.9

Too great or strong to put into words

highlights unusual or intense quality rather than specifically being overwhelming
unnamable
vsunexpressible
1 7.7

Too hard to describe in words

emphasizes unusual intensity that prevents description rather than mere naming inability
untellable
vsunexpressible
9.9

So great you cannot describe it in words

is the same in meaning but uses a different word form

Antonyms

1 5.3

Able to be put into words or shown by actions

How Expressible

expressible
1 5.3
unexpressible
8.4

Surface Forms

unexpressible positive

Morphology

unexpressible = expressible (transparent) = un + express + ible

Formed by prefixing the negative 'un-' to 'expressible' (express + -ible), a standard and transparent negation pattern.

Etymology

Unexpressible is made of un- ('not') and express, which comes from parts meaning 'to press' and 'out', like the everyday word press. So unexpressible is something you cannot 'press out' into words because it is too strong or deep to describe.