insatiable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of insatiable
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English insaciable, from Latin insatiābilis; equivalent to in- 3 + satiable
Explanation
If someone can't be satisfied, she is insatiable. After being lost in the woods eating only berries for a few days, you'll find your hunger is insatiable once you finally get to the table. Insatiable comes from the combination of the negative prefix, in- and the Latin verb satiare, for fill. Someone who is insatiable can never be full. It can be used for spiritual as well as physical desires. Swift's traveling Gulliver talks about his "insatiable desire of seeing foreign countries." Perhaps you have an insatiable desire to learn all the words in the English language. Synonyms are unappeasable and gluttonous.
Vocabulary lists containing insatiable
Advanced English Words
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The Other Wes Moore
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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.
For weeks now, his game-breaking talent and insatiable appetite for goals had captivated America.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
For decades, her insatiable musical curiosity allowed her to surf the zeitgeist, often introducing new sounds to pop before they'd gone mainstream.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
Their businesses have flourished in a compute-constrained environment with a seemingly insatiable demand for capacity.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026
But their appetite for capital appears to be insatiable; Monday, only days after raising $85 billion in its IPO, SpaceX launched a $20-billion bond issue.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
Armed with an insatiable desire to succeed—and aided by his natural gifts, which included a deeply resonant voice—he made his dream come true soon after finishing up at Bard College in 1971.
From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore
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.
