ineffable

American  

[in-ef-uh-buhl] / ɪnˈɛf ə bəl /

adjective

1. incapable of being expressed or described in words; inexpressible.

   ineffable joy.

2. not to be spoken because of its sacredness; unutterable.

   the ineffable name of the deity.

   Synonyms:

   unspeakable

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ineffable British  

/ ɪnˈɛfəbəl /

adjective

1. too great or intense to be expressed in words; unutterable

2. too sacred to be uttered

3. indescribable; indefinable

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Other Word Forms

• ineffability noun
• ineffableness noun
• ineffably adverb

Etymology

Origin of ineffable

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

Example Sentences

So much of attraction exists in the realm of the ineffable, but if I had to articulate what drew me to her, the answer might be the image of her smile.

From Los Angeles Times

"We are grateful for her passion, her wit, her ineffable style, and all the summers she spent in the tent."

From BBC

It’s a performance that requires O’Connor to hint at an ineffable void.

From Los Angeles Times

Then, after a short silence, the music resumed, but now with the addition of Mr. Muhly on prepared piano, lending ineffable poignancy to strains of unsentimental emotionalism.

From The Wall Street Journal

With Frankenstein, he worries he’ll jinx the monster by talking too much about him, snuffing out the ineffable thing that he says fueled his performance.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• ethereal
• heavenly
• indescribable
• transcendent
• unspeakable