insuperable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of insuperable
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English word from Latin word insuperābilis. See in- 3, superable
Explanation
Perhaps if you are a superhero, you can tackle an insuperable problem — one that is considered impossible to overcome. Insuperable is an adjective that is often paired with nouns like difficulty, obstacle, and barrier. An insuperable difficulty is not just difficult; it’s impossible. And an insuperable obstacle is not like a hurdle on a running track that slows you down a little; it stops you entirely. The opposite of insuperable is, of course, superable, though it’s less commonly used than its negative counterpart.
Vocabulary lists containing insuperable
Frankenstein
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"The Pit and the Pendulum" by Edgar Allan Poe
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "I"
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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.
Here and elsewhere, scale is a messaging device, speaking of the Roman imperium’s insuperable need to seize and control large swaths of space.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2025
Dava Sobel says Eddington told Cecilia that he saw "no insuperable obstacles," and Cecilia kept in touch with Eddington after that initial encounter.
From Scientific American ● Jun. 22, 2023
Two women who are attached to their cultural roots yet alienated by the conservative values of their communities hold for each other the answer to problems that until now have seemed insuperable.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 19, 2023
If the left’s challenges appear daunting, they are perhaps not yet insuperable.
From New York Times ● Sep. 2, 2021
South Africa’s Mediterranean climate would have been ideal for them, but the 2,000 miles of tropical conditions between Ethiopia and South Africa posed an insuperable barrier.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
