inexpressible

American  

[in-ik-spres-uh-buhl] / ˌɪn ɪkˈsprɛs ə bəl /

adjective

1. not expressible; incapable of being uttered or described in words.

   a scene of inexpressible beauty.

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noun

1. Archaic. inexpressibles, trousers; pants.

inexpressible British  

/ ˌɪnɪkˈsprɛsəbəl /

adjective

1. too great, etc, to be expressed or uttered; indescribable

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Other Word Forms

• inexpressibility noun
• inexpressibleness noun
• inexpressibly adverb

Etymology

Origin of inexpressible

First recorded in 1615–25; in- ³ + expressible ( def. )

Example Sentences

“It’s an exorcism of sorts, to put into words and symbols this almost inexpressible anguish. That was why I started, to try and alleviate the despair.”

From Washington Post • Nov. 7, 2022

Like those pilots, in Vietnam I connected and cried with people I'd never met, people who live on the other side of the world and who endured inexpressible suffering.

From Salon • Nov. 5, 2022

There’s an unpretentious beauty that resonates in each frame of director Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog,” a dark, thoughtful tale that explores inexpressible emotions and their consequences with a pensive pace.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 27, 2022

And we were all sustained there with a savour inexpressible which satisfied us.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2019

I was silent; Helen had calmed me; but in the tranquillity she imparted there was an alloy of inexpressible sadness.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë