inaudible

adjective

in·​au·​di·​ble (ˌ)i-ˈnȯ-də-bəl 

: not audible

inaudible comments

inaudibility

(ˌ)i-ˌnȯ-də-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

inaudibly

(ˌ)i-ˈnȯ-də-blē 

adverb

Did you know?

With its negative prefix in-, inaudible means the opposite of audible. What's clearly audible to you may be inaudible to your elderly grandfather. Modern spy technology can turn inaudible conversations into audible ones with the use of high-powered directional microphones, so if you think you're being spied on, make sure there's a lot of other noise around you. And if you don't want everyone around you to know you're bored, keep your sighs inaudible.

Examples of inaudible in a Sentence

She spoke so quietly that she was almost inaudible.

The sound is inaudible to humans but can be heard by dogs.

Recent Examples on the Web

This clearly crushes Lee, who screams furiously at Eugene, though his words are rendered inaudible amid the trip—Lee cannot make his voice heard. —Barry Levitt, TIME, 6 Dec. 2024

Most remarks were inaudible over the roaring buzz of the crowd. —Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024

The teacher said something inaudible to him, and Harvey threw a Croc shoe at her in response. —Ryan Murphy, The Indianapolis Star, 15 Nov. 2024

Suddenly, the camera captured the moose charging toward Lewis, who was heard shouting a few inaudible phrases before the camera shuts off. —Greg Wehner, Fox News, 2 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin inaudibilis, from Latin in- + Late Latin audibilis audible

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

inaudible

adjective

in·​au·​di·​ble (ˈ)in-ˈȯd-ə-bəl 

: impossible to hear : not audible

inaudibility

(ˌ)in-ˌȯd-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

inaudibly

(ˈ)in-ˈȯd-ə-blē 

adverb