indestructible
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- indestructibility noun
- indestructibleness noun
- indestructibly adverb
Etymology
Origin of indestructible
From the Late Latin word indēstrūctibilis, dating back to 1665–75. See in- 3, destructible
Explanation
Something that's indestructible can't be broken or destroyed. Your indestructible winter boots last year after year, stomping through snow and ice and salt without ever falling apart. Things that are indestructible last for so long that it seems impossible to break them. Your relationship with your best friend might feel indestructible if your bond is strong and true, and your junky old car might also seem indestructible if it never dies no matter how many miles you drive it. The word indestructible comes from Latin roots, the prefix in, or "not," and destruere, "tear down or demolish" or literally "un-build."
Vocabulary lists containing indestructible
Superhero Lexicon
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Wonder Woman's Superpower Words
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World Without Fish
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"I always thought Ian was indestructible," she added.
From BBC • Feb. 12, 2026
A lot of that movement has been rolled back in the past few years, but “Drag Race” itself seems indestructible.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026
A year earlier, that conference had been a nonstop celebration, and Stroup and Bourne had seemed indestructible.
From Slate • Dec. 23, 2025
But what I do know now is that this fire hadn’t come to destroy me; it came to show me what was indestructible.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2025
The nickname “Miranium” fit because I was strong, not because I was made of the toughest, strongest, most indestructible element ever.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
