insufferable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of insufferable
First recorded in 1525–35; in- 3 + sufferable ( def. )
Explanation
If something is insufferable, it's unbearable and impossible, like the insufferable humidity of the "rain forest room" at the zoo on a hot summer day. You can see the word suffer in insufferable — and it's no coincidence. If it's unacceptable or too much to handle, it's insufferable. An egotistic co-worker is insufferable, and so is a blizzard that leaves six-foot drifts against the doors of your house, or insufferable working conditions in many of the factories that produce goods around the world.
Vocabulary lists containing insufferable
"The Cask Of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe
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The Lightning Thief
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"The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury
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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.
We sat and chatted about marriage, my possibly newfound feelings around it, her separation from her own husband, and dear God, how insufferable the L.A. heat wave was becoming.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Now based in New York, he says watching Australia games in Melbourne could be "insufferable".
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
In a novel full of insufferable characters interfering with romantic soulmates, Mary commits the sins of both pedantry and priggishness.
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026
If I’m right, you beat your neighbors by 3% and get to be insufferable about it at barbecues.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 17, 2025
The bet had been the sole reason for our visit, and the resulting insufferable tour of Buildings A through D taught us never again to express an interest in our father’s workplace.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
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.
