-ˈplā-
Jane AustenArthur Schlesinger, born 1917
Did you know?
Implacable is rooted in Latin placare, meaning "to soothe," but its im- prefix is a variant of the negating prefix in- (as in inactive) and it signals that there’s nothing warm and fuzzy here. Someone or something described as implacable cannot be soothed, which usually means trouble: implacable is most often attached to words like foe, enemy, hatred and hostility. The opposite of implacable is, of course, placable; it means "easily soothed," but sadly isn’t called upon very often. Another placare word is likely more familiar. Placate means "to soothe or appease"; it’s frequently applied when an angry person is made to feel less so.
Examples of implacable in a Sentence
The Week Us, TheWeek, 3 June 2026
The dog watches them with its implacable amber eyes.
—Maggie O’Farrell, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
But bonding keeps getting interrupted as big, implacable questions rear their head, like wildebeests slowly amassing and waiting to stampede.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 20 May 2026
As this Premier League campaign has perhaps demonstrated more than most others, Villa do not need to be implacable to achieve their objectives.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for implacable
Cite this Entry
“Implacable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/implacable. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
implacable
adjective
-ˈplā-kə-
