insurmountable

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

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR insurmountable ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

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

Nearby words

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

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

Word Origin and History for insurmountable

insurmountable

adj.

1690s, from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + surmountable (see surmount). Related: Insurmountably.

insurmountable

adjective

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of insurmountable

Examples from the Web for insurmountable

insurmountable

adjective

insurmountable