inaudible
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- inaudibility noun
- inaudibleness noun
- inaudibly adverb
Etymology
Origin of inaudible
Explanation
Inaudible is another way of saying "hushed" or "silent." If you thought the bad words you muttered under your breath were inaudible, perhaps you should've turned off that microphone in front of you! In Latin, audire means “to hear,” so it makes sense, then, that inaudible means “imperceptible by the ear,” since in- means “not.” You should strive to speak in a near-inaudible whisper if you need to talk to your seatmate at the opera, but in normal, everyday conversation, you won’t get your point across unless you talk at a louder volume. Synonyms for inaudible range from faint and muffled to uncommunicative and voiceless.
Vocabulary lists containing inaudible
Common Senses: Aud ("Hear")
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"The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs
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The Diary of Anne Frank
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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.
These high-frequency waves are invisible and inaudible to humans.
From Science Daily • Nov. 20, 2025
As she scrabbled for a laser pointer in her large handbag, her coloratura was comically on point, though she was inaudible in her middle range during the cabaletta.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 1, 2025
For some, spasms push the vocal cords too far apart, creating breathy and nearly inaudible speech.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2024
Though most of the conversation was inaudible to reporters, Faherty at one point snapped at Kise to “be more respectful.”
From Salon • Nov. 3, 2023
Smith spoke to the horse in nearly inaudible tones, calling him Son and touching him lightly when he needed him to turn.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
