inescapable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inescapable
First recorded in 1785–95; in- 3 + escapable ( def. )
Explanation
Something that's inescapable is impossible to get away from. A reluctant swimmer may stop trying to talk his mom out of making him go to swimming lessons once he realizes that learning to swim is inescapable. Any force or occurrence or duty that you just can't avoid is inescapable. Feeling angry at people you love sometimes is inescapable, and children growing older is also inescapable. The adjective combines the prefix in, or "not, the opposite of," with escapable, which comes from the Vulgar Latin word excappare, literally "get out of one's cape," or "leave a pursuer holding just one's cape."
Vocabulary lists containing inescapable
The Honest Truth
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Winger
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"Our Mysterious Universe" and "A Black Hole is NOT a Hole"
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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.
The culture and politics of the Sunbelt — sometimes called “America B” by people who spend too much time online — is now inescapable.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
There are tragic, inescapable events and ill-fated lovers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
The show’s success has made all three characters inescapable for parents of young children who see them on T-shirts, lunchboxes and bounce houses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
The wide chasm between what Americans think about their job prospects and the relatively low unemployment rate yields an inescapable conclusion.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026
The city seemed to be awakening after a long, inescapable nightmare.
From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy
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.
