indefatigable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of indefatigable
1580–90; < Latin indēfatīgābilis untiring, equivalent to in- in- 3 + dēfatīgā ( re ) to tire out ( see de-, fatigue) + -bilis -ble
Explanation
Someone who is indefatigable can go on for a very long time without becoming tired. You might not be so happy to have an indefatigable guide on your walking trip––you'll have blisters, but she'll see no reason not to keep going. Indefatigable comes from Latin indefatigabilis, formed from the prefix in- "not" plus defatigare "to tire out." Here the prefix de- means "entirely." You can remember the root fatigare because it sounds so much like the English fatigue.
Vocabulary lists containing indefatigable
Animal Farm
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The Scarlet Letter
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The Haunting of Hill House
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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 an indefatigable Volkanovski's agility and relentless striking eventually wore down his flagging challenger, who was unable to land a knockout in the final round.
From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026
It’s a rollicking animal story; it’s also a tale of indefatigable love.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025
They deserve our support, as do a slew of writers, such as the indefatigable Heather Cox Richardson and Ruth Ben-Ghiat, who publish via Substack.
From Salon • Jul. 5, 2025
Laquarn Lewis, who plays the indefatigable Fallen Diva Lady Die in What If Feels Like For a Girl, says the show's characters are "just rebelling against how society is telling them they should be".
From BBC • May 30, 2025
Over the next eighteen months, this indefatigable machine would produce two thousandths of a gram of plutonium, a quantity about the size of a grain of salt.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
