insufferable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of insufferable
First recorded in 1525–35; in- 3 + sufferable ( def. )
Explanation
If something is insufferable, it's unbearable and impossible, like the insufferable humidity of the "rain forest room" at the zoo on a hot summer day. You can see the word suffer in insufferable — and it's no coincidence. If it's unacceptable or too much to handle, it's insufferable. An egotistic co-worker is insufferable, and so is a blizzard that leaves six-foot drifts against the doors of your house, or insufferable working conditions in many of the factories that produce goods around the world.
Vocabulary lists containing insufferable
"The Cask Of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe
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The Lightning Thief
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"The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury
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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 cheeky Midwestern T-shirt purveyor Raygun has an “Iowa Needs Insufferable Wenches” shirt that raises money for their efforts.
From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026
Leah: Insufferable, I've been told by my cousins!
From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026
PedanTIKTOK: Insufferable videos featuring nitpicky grammar quibbles, but at least they’re only 15 seconds long.
From Washington Post • Feb. 3, 2022
The gist of “The Insufferable Groo” will be familiar to anyone who’s seen similar “portrait of the impossible dreamer” docs “American Movie” and “Anvil: The Story of Anvil.”
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2018
Insufferable to him were all notorieties and celebrities: where he could not outshine, he fled.
From Villette by Brontë, Charlotte
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.
