ineffable

[ in-ef-uh-buhl ]
/ ɪnˈɛf ə bəl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR ineffable ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

incapable of being expressed or described in words; inexpressible: ineffable joy.
not to be spoken because of its sacredness; unutterable: the ineffable name of the deity.

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Origin of ineffable

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English word from Latin word ineffābilis.See in-3, effable

OTHER WORDS FROM ineffable

in·ef·fa·bil·i·ty, in·ef·fa·ble·ness, nounin·ef·fa·bly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to ineffable

indescribable, heavenly, transcendent, unspeakable, ethereal, celestial, divine, empyrean, holy, ideal, impossible, incredible, nameless, sacred, spiritual, transcendental, empyreal, incommunicable, indefinable, inexpressible

Example sentences from the Web for ineffable

British Dictionary definitions for ineffable

ineffable
/ (ɪnˈɛfəbəl) /

adjective

too great or intense to be expressed in words; unutterable
too sacred to be uttered
indescribable; indefinable

Derived forms of ineffable

ineffability or ineffableness, nounineffably, adverb

Word Origin for ineffable

C15: from Latin ineffābilis unutterable, from in- 1 + effābilis, from effārī to utter, from fārī to speak
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012