inconsolable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inconsolable
1590–1600; < Latin inconsōlābilis. See in- 3, consolable ( def. )
Explanation
Someone inconsolable can't be comforted because they're extremely sad and despairing. To console someone is to comfort them with kind words, hugs, or otherwise. When someone is inconsolable, they’re so upset that all the words and hugs in the world are ineffective. An inconsolable person can't be consoled. People are inconsolable after horrible things happen, like the death of a family member or a friend. Some people are inconsolable after losing their jobs or suffering disappointments. If you're depressed, you could be inconsolable. This is a strong word for extreme sadness.
Vocabulary lists containing inconsolable
Refugee
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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
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The Book Thief
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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.
Inconsolable losses eventually take the form of ordinary pains, like joints that ache when a storm is coming, but sometimes I’m caught by surprise.
From New York Times • Aug. 23, 2017
Inconsolable grief for Mayo supporters after the draw they should have won.
From BBC • Sep. 15, 2016
Inconsolable, Marble reported in her memoir that she accepted without hesitation when the government approached her about operating as a spy in Switzerland—a mission revealed only after Marble’s death, when her book was published.
From Time • Jun. 29, 2015
There are some good names from the years of exploration: the Enchanted Gorge, draining the Ionian Basin between Mounts Scylla and Charybdis; the Gorge of Despair; the Inconsolable Range.
From Slate • Oct. 22, 2014
Already, you see, there was a sort of dim parallel between the passing of the bicycle and the last ride of Tancred the Inconsolable along the banks of the Danube.
From Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town by Leacock, Stephen
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.
