indestructible
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- indestructibility noun
- indestructibleness noun
- indestructibly adverb
Etymology
Origin of indestructible
From the Late Latin word indēstrūctibilis, dating back to 1665–75. See in- 3, destructible
Explanation
Something that's indestructible can't be broken or destroyed. Your indestructible winter boots last year after year, stomping through snow and ice and salt without ever falling apart. Things that are indestructible last for so long that it seems impossible to break them. Your relationship with your best friend might feel indestructible if your bond is strong and true, and your junky old car might also seem indestructible if it never dies no matter how many miles you drive it. The word indestructible comes from Latin roots, the prefix in, or "not," and destruere, "tear down or demolish" or literally "un-build."
Vocabulary lists containing indestructible
Superhero Lexicon
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World Without Fish
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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.
"I always thought Ian was indestructible," she added.
From BBC • Feb. 12, 2026
A year earlier, that conference had been a nonstop celebration, and Stroup and Bourne had seemed indestructible.
From Slate • Dec. 23, 2025
“We’ll return with the indestructible force of the people,” Morales said Sunday.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 20, 2025
He was assisted in that delusion, the authors claim, by the mythology his family erected around him — that he was indestructible — and by his zealously protective inner circle, dubbed “the Politburo.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2025
He was the Black Tortoise of Winter, indestructible and invincible.
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
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.
