insurmountable

[ in-ser-moun-tuh-buh l ]

/ ˌɪn sərˈmaʊn tə bəl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR insurmountable ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

incapable of being surmounted, passed over, or overcome; insuperable: an insurmountable obstacle.

Nearby words

insurgence, insurgency, insurgent, insurgents, insuring clause, insurmountable, insurrection, insurrectionary, insurrectionize, insusceptibility, insusceptible

Origin of insurmountable

First recorded in 1690–1700; in-³ + surmountable

Related formsin·sur·mount·a·bil·i·ty, in·sur·mount·a·ble·ness, nounin·sur·mount·a·bly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for insurmountable

But while the obstacles to evidence-based governance are formidable, they are not insurmountable.
Can the U.S. Government Go Moneyball?|Peter Orszag, Jim Nussle|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Each one seems a mile high, and the entire flight an insurmountable obstacle.
You’re Never ‘Cured’ of an Eating Disorder|Carrie Arnold|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That defeat was driven largely by Romney losing women voters by an insurmountable 11 points.
Surprise! The GOP Closed the Gender Gap|Patricia Murphy|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They do not reflect any intrinsic or insurmountable military advantage.
Stop the ISIS War Before It Gets Worse!|Jeffrey Sachs, Michael Shank|September 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST

But as long as Wiegand clings to that title, he is up against a (most likely insurmountable) rhetorical challenge.
‘American Blogger’ Is So Bad, You’ll Wish It Was a Spoof|Andy Hinds|April 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The place was not a feudal castle, but what he said was insurmountable truth.
The Shuttle|Frances Hodgson Burnett
And if the first obstacles are overcome, why should the others be insurmountable?
The Ruins|C. F. [Constantin Francois de] Volney
But the difficulties of most of the chronology are insurmountable.
Apollonius of Tyana, the Philosopher-Reformer of the First Century A.D.|George Robert Stowe Mead
Yes, I saw it from the beginning, and your talk about the insurmountable wall of middle-age did not deceive me.
Visionaries|James Huneker
Grant and John were off like a flash, however, and the advantage the red team enjoyed was not insurmountable by any means.
The Go Ahead Boys in the Island Camp|Ross Kay

British Dictionary definitions for insurmountable

insurmountable

/ (ˌɪnsəˈmaʊntəbəl) /

adjective

incapable of being overcome; insuperable

Derived Formsinsurmountability or insurmountableness, nouninsurmountably, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

insurmountable

adjective

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of insurmountable

Examples from the Web for insurmountable

British Dictionary definitions for insurmountable

insurmountable

adjective