insatiable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of insatiable
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English insaciable, from Latin insatiābilis; equivalent to in- 3 + satiable
Explanation
If someone can't be satisfied, she is insatiable. After being lost in the woods eating only berries for a few days, you'll find your hunger is insatiable once you finally get to the table. Insatiable comes from the combination of the negative prefix, in- and the Latin verb satiare, for fill. Someone who is insatiable can never be full. It can be used for spiritual as well as physical desires. Swift's traveling Gulliver talks about his "insatiable desire of seeing foreign countries." Perhaps you have an insatiable desire to learn all the words in the English language. Synonyms are unappeasable and gluttonous.
Vocabulary lists containing insatiable
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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.
But such great champions are, of course, born competitors who have insatiable desires to win matches - and Grand Slam trophies.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
With leaders like this, is it any wonder that the public still has an insatiable appetite for superheroes?
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
Ki Tang and Park Ng are locals, insatiable eaters.
From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026
O’Leary: The demand for data centers is insatiable.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
Then he massaged her with brandy and gunpowder, but it was all useless; Pancha’s life ebbed away in an interminable case of diarrhea that destroyed her body and left her with an insatiable thirst.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
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.
