indescribable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- indescribability noun
- indescribableness noun
- indescribably adverb
Etymology
Origin of indescribable
First recorded in 1785–95; in- 3 + describable ( def. )
Explanation
Something indescribable is too intense, extreme or unusual to describe. It's beyond words. Have you ever noticed how some things are tough or impossible to put into words? Those things are indescribable. The feeling after you win the Olympic gold medal in swimming is probably indescribable. The astronauts who traveled to the moon had an indescribable experience. Some say an incredible athlete like Michael Jordan is indescribable. Of course, nothing is truly indescribable — people describe just about everything. Still, this is a great word for when you feel like words just aren't enough.
Vocabulary lists containing indescribable
The Skin I'm In
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Obama's speech at Connecticut vigil
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Roots: scrib, scribe
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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.
It’s an indescribable closeness, more potent than any dividend.
From Salon • Mar. 1, 2026
"To lose him during Ramadan has been an indescribable pain," it read.
From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026
"Psychologically, what can we do? Like all those displaced from El-Fasher, our feelings are indescribable."
From Barron's • Nov. 24, 2025
It was as unbelievable, indescribable, long-dreamt-of and yet entirely unexpected.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 2, 2025
When June came the grasses headed out and turned brown, and the hills turned a brown which was not brown but a gold and saffron and red—an indescribable color.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
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.
