unspeakable
adjective
un·speak·able
ˌən-ˈspē-kə-bəl 
1
a
: incapable of being expressed in words : unutterable
b
: inexpressibly bad : horrendous
unspeakable living conditions
unspeakable evil
2
: that may not or cannot be spoken
the bawdy thoughts that come into one's head—the unspeakable words—
L. P. Smith
L. P. Smithunspeakable collections of consonants—Rosemary Jellis
Rosemary JellisSynonyms
Examples of unspeakable in a Sentence
the unspeakable horror of war
continually encountered unspeakable beauty in their travels through the Alps
Recent Examples on the Web
Justin and Sydney Simpson experienced unspeakable tragedy at a young age.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024
Given how many times in the past century unspeakable horrors have been impeccably documented and openly discussed in corporate jargon, the fact that systems ruled by this shiny, organized, daytime logic can quickly descend into darkness ought to come as no surprise.
—Kristen Roupenian, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2024
Vernet said many of the children have witnessed unspeakable horrors and, before coming to the church, lived in constant fear of the violence that ravaged their community.
—Fredlyn Pierre Louis, NBC News, 19 Mar. 2024
The shootings became a tragedy so unspeakable that after the initial news reports, it was discussed only in hushed circles.
—Sarah Weinman, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024
But viewers never see the unspeakable horrors taking place just on the other side of the garden wall.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024
And there were people in that room – first of all, of tremendous grief, unspeakable frustration and anger.
—CBS News, 3 Mar. 2024
From unspeakable tragedies, to handbags, to dazzling football and incredible drama.
—Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
Throughout the unspeakable cruelty — and a few acts of kindness — young Sarr projects inextinguishable hope, holding on to the belief that on the other side of the water, on the shores of Italy, something worth all the sorrow may await him.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2024
Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024
Given how many times in the past century unspeakable horrors have been impeccably documented and openly discussed in corporate jargon, the fact that systems ruled by this shiny, organized, daytime logic can quickly descend into darkness ought to come as no surprise.
—Kristen Roupenian, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2024
Vernet said many of the children have witnessed unspeakable horrors and, before coming to the church, lived in constant fear of the violence that ravaged their community.
—Fredlyn Pierre Louis, NBC News, 19 Mar. 2024
The shootings became a tragedy so unspeakable that after the initial news reports, it was discussed only in hushed circles.
—Sarah Weinman, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024
But viewers never see the unspeakable horrors taking place just on the other side of the garden wall.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024
And there were people in that room – first of all, of tremendous grief, unspeakable frustration and anger.
—CBS News, 3 Mar. 2024
From unspeakable tragedies, to handbags, to dazzling football and incredible drama.
—Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
Throughout the unspeakable cruelty — and a few acts of kindness — young Sarr projects inextinguishable hope, holding on to the belief that on the other side of the water, on the shores of Italy, something worth all the sorrow may await him.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unspeakable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near unspeakable
Cite this Entry
“Unspeakable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unspeakable. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unspeakable
adjective
un·speak·able
ˌən-ˈspē-kə-bəl
ˈən-
1
: impossible to express in words
unspeakable beauty of the sunset
2
: extremely bad
unspeakable conduct
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