• Ineffable

ineffable

views updated Jun 11 2018

in·ef·fa·ble / inˈefəbəl/ • adj. too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words: the ineffable natural beauty of the Everglades. ∎  not to be uttered: the ineffable Hebrew name that gentiles write as Jehovah.DERIVATIVES: in·ef·fa·bil·i·ty / -efəˈbilitē/ n.in·ef·fa·bly / -blē/ adv.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

unutterable

views updated May 17 2018

un·ut·ter·a·ble / ˌənˈətərəbəl/ • adj. too great, intense, or awful to describe: those private moments of unutterable grief.DERIVATIVES: un·ut·ter·a·bly / -blē/ adv. Juliet climbed the stairs, feeling unutterably weary.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

ineffable

views updated May 21 2018

ineffable XV. — F. ineffable or L. ineffābilis, f. IN-2 + effābilis, f. effārī speak out, f. EF- + fārī; cf. FAME, -ABLE.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

unutterable

views updated May 18 2018

unutterable above or beyond description. XVI (UN-1).

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

More From encyclopedia.com

About this article

Ineffable

All Sources -
Updated Aug 08 2016 About encyclopedia.com content Print Topic

You Might Also Like