unspeakable
adjective
un·speak·able
ˌən-ˈspē-kə-bəl 
1
a
: incapable of being expressed in words : unutterable
… each heaved a sigh of unspeakable relief.—
Frank Norris
Frank Norris
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 JellisExamples 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
The actually unspeakable bit is whether women’s access to education and the job market should be restricted, in the name of producing more babies and saving civilization.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
Three hundred pages of unspeakable horror.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 14 May 2026
The novel demonstrates that even the unspeakable—civil war, familial grief—can be named through a close, humanizing narrative voice.
—Time, 12 May 2026
The setting is a place of deep, almost painful beauty that will bear witness to the unspeakable horrors of humanity, writ large by a group of once-innocent boys who are stand-ins for the depravity of the rest of us.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unspeakable
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Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
Three hundred pages of unspeakable horror.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 14 May 2026
The novel demonstrates that even the unspeakable—civil war, familial grief—can be named through a close, humanizing narrative voice.
—Time, 12 May 2026
The setting is a place of deep, almost painful beauty that will bear witness to the unspeakable horrors of humanity, writ large by a group of once-innocent boys who are stand-ins for the depravity of the rest of us.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unspeakable
Cite this Entry
“Unspeakable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unspeakable. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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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