inexorable
Americanadjective
-
inexorable truth;
inexorable justice.
-
not to be persuaded, moved, or affected by prayers or entreaties.
an inexorable creditor.
- Synonyms:
- pitiless, cruel, merciless, implacable, unrelenting, unbending
adjective
-
not able to be moved by entreaty or persuasion
-
relentless
Synonym Usage
See inflexible.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of inexorable
From the Latin word inexōrābilis, dating back to 1545–55. See in- 3, exorable
Explanation
When a person is inexorable, they're stubborn. When a thing or process is inexorable, it can't be stopped. This is a word for people and things that will not change direction. An inexorable person is hard-headed and cannot be convinced to change their mind, no matter what. You can also say that a process, like the progress of a deadly illness, is inexorable because it can't be stopped. A speeding train with no brakes is inexorable; it's not stopping till it crashes. When you see the word inexorable, think "No one's stopping that."
Vocabulary lists containing inexorable
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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.
Appeared in the March 18, 2026, print edition as 'Regime Change Is Inexorable'.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026
I grew up idolizing Dan—his writing made me want to get into golf journalism—and my bible was his book Dogged Victims of Inexorable Fate.
From Golf Digest • Apr. 6, 2020
Inexorable foreboding fills “Threshold of Faith,” by the electronic composer Ben Frost, a master of glacial, amorphous tension.
From New York Times • Sep. 8, 2017
Inexorable -- only if the media allows itself to be fooled twice.
From Salon • Aug. 24, 2010
In this view, and in this view alone, we comprehend the riddles of Divine Injustice—of Inexorable Fate.
From Eureka: A Prose Poem by Poe, Edgar A.
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.