irredeemable
Americanadjective
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not redeemable; incapable of being bought back or paid off.
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irremediable; irreparable; hopeless.
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beyond redemption; irreclaimable.
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(of paper money) not convertible into gold or silver.
adjective
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(of bonds, debentures, shares, etc) without a date of redemption of capital; incapable of being bought back directly or paid off
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(of paper money) not convertible into specie
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(of a sinner) not able to be saved or reformed
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(of a loss) not able to be recovered; irretrievable
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not able to be improved or rectified; irreparable
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of irredeemable
First recorded in 1600–10; ir- 2 + redeemable
Explanation
If something is beyond all hope, you can describe it as irredeemable — like your disastrously bad performance at the school talent show. Use the adjective irredeemable when there's no way to fix or save a person or situation. You could describe your aunt whose house is so full of stuffed animals that the door barely opens as an irredeemable hoarder, or your friend's cheap jewelry as irredeemable junk. It comes from the word redeem, which is related to redemption, whose root word is the Latin redimere, "buy back."
Vocabulary lists containing irredeemable
Vocabulary from the Vice-Presidential Debate, October 4, 2016
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Stamped
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The Wind in the Willows
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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.
Often described as monstrous, irredeemable from the crib and the personification of malice, Cathy is both Eve and serpent in Steinbeck’s heavy-handed biblical allegory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Like Lawrence’s other series, none of the characters in “Rooster” are irredeemable.
From Salon ● Apr. 5, 2026
After contacting liquidators, Ms Roberts was told the vouchers were irredeemable and it was not possible for refunds to be issued.
From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2024
But worst of all, maybe, would be that I’d look like an irredeemable dork.
From Slate ● Sep. 26, 2024
This is my chance to get him to do something irredeemable, get her to see who he truly is.
From "Every Day" by David Levithan
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
