insatiable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of insatiable
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English insaciable, from Latin insatiābilis; equivalent to in- 3 + satiable
Explanation
If someone can't be satisfied, she is insatiable. After being lost in the woods eating only berries for a few days, you'll find your hunger is insatiable once you finally get to the table. Insatiable comes from the combination of the negative prefix, in- and the Latin verb satiare, for fill. Someone who is insatiable can never be full. It can be used for spiritual as well as physical desires. Swift's traveling Gulliver talks about his "insatiable desire of seeing foreign countries." Perhaps you have an insatiable desire to learn all the words in the English language. Synonyms are unappeasable and gluttonous.
Vocabulary lists containing insatiable
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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.
But such great champions are, of course, born competitors who have insatiable desires to win matches - and Grand Slam trophies.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
With leaders like this, is it any wonder that the public still has an insatiable appetite for superheroes?
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
That has added to concern about U.S. leadership in AI and Big Tech’s insatiable spending on AI infrastructure.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Ki Tang and Park Ng are locals, insatiable eaters.
From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026
In order to feed the world’s insatiable demand for cotton goods, he said, every picker’s daily quota will be increased by a percentage determined by their numbers from the previous harvest.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
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.
