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

unspeakable collections of consonants

—Rosemary Jellis

unspeakably

ˌən-ˈspē-kə-blē 

adverb

Synonyms

• incommunicable
• indefinable
• indescribable
• ineffable
• inenarrable
• inexpressible
• nameless
• uncommunicable
• unutterable

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

Even if those two men didn’t make it out of Europe alive, the unspeakable acts carried out in the name of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich would still live on in infamy, reminding humanity what blind hatred and xenophobia could lead to if a society wasn’t careful. —Josh Weiss, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025

Guralnick / Detroit News / AP file An alternative medicine clinic where a Michigan boy suffered an unspeakable death has put a spotlight on the largely unregulated world of hyperbaric oxygen therapy that is offered outside of hospitals. —Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 17 Mar. 2025

In a statement, District Attorney Brian Mason described Gettler’s actions as unspeakable and outrageous. —Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 5 Mar. 2025

For Students for Justice in Palestine to gather on the memorial of that day to honor Hamas terrorists who died after committing unspeakable atrocities should be horrifying to any empathetic person. —Ellia M Torkian, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids 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

unspeakably

-blē 

adverb