insufferable

[in-suhf-er-uh-buhl]

adjective

1. not to be endured; intolerable; unbearable.

   their insufferable insolence.

insufferable

/ ɪnˈsʌfərəbəl /

adjective

1. intolerable; unendurable

Other Word Forms

• insufferableness noun
• insufferably adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of insufferable¹

First recorded in 1525–35; in- ³ + sufferable ( def. )

Example Sentences

The presence of the surly uncle, insufferable in-law, or grating girlfriend at the holiday table can make it hard to truly count one’s blessings.

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But if our crumbling democracy means anything, even insufferable warmongers deserve a fair shake.

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If I’m right, you beat your neighbors by 3% and get to be insufferable about it at barbecues.

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If you’ve made it this far, you may be thinking that the reviewer is one of those insufferable people who criticizes others to burnish his own self-importance.

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Yes, I am an insufferable nerd: I have been coming to things like this for 20 years.

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Related Words

• unbearable