1
as in hopeless
not capable of being cured or reformed
unfortunately, he was destined to live out his days as an irrecoverable alcoholic
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in irreversible
not capable of being repaired, regained, or undone
one computer file proved to be irrecoverable after the crash
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of irrecoverable
This kind of situation occurs when irrecoverable past investments drive decisions, even when those costs are irrelevant to future outcomes.
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Shanna Apitz, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
The damage done by Biden-Harris is not irrecoverable.
—Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 1 Nov. 2024
In Germany, bad debt relief requires that the debt is considered irrecoverable, assessed based on the individual facts of each case.
—Aleksandra Bal, Forbes, 8 Sep. 2024
The resulting jet of propellant that vented into space acted as an impromptu rocket that could have pushed the spacecraft into an irrecoverable tumble.
—Michael Greshko, Scientific American, 19 Jan. 2024
The West in fact faces a crucial choice right now: support Ukraine so that its leaders can defend their territory and prepare for a 2025 offensive or cede an irrecoverable advantage to Russia.
—Jack Watling, Foreign Affairs, 3 Jan. 2024
Two of these horses were euthanized on the day of the Derby itself after suffering irrecoverable injuries, their trainers told The Associated Press.
—Justin Klawans, The Week, 9 May 2023
One line of thinking is that Russian forces would execute a swift, overwhelming strike meant to inflict massive and irrecoverable losses on the Ukrainian military that would spur a political capitulation (and possibly a change in government) in Kyiv.
—Nolan Peterson, WSJ, 20 Jan. 2022
Navalny has mounted a series of legal appeals against his poor treatment, but video camera evidence to prove his case has been unavailable, with officials claiming software failures, power surges and irrecoverable data, according to the report.
—Robyn Dixon, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2023
Shanna Apitz, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
The damage done by Biden-Harris is not irrecoverable.
—Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 1 Nov. 2024
In Germany, bad debt relief requires that the debt is considered irrecoverable, assessed based on the individual facts of each case.
—Aleksandra Bal, Forbes, 8 Sep. 2024
The resulting jet of propellant that vented into space acted as an impromptu rocket that could have pushed the spacecraft into an irrecoverable tumble.
—Michael Greshko, Scientific American, 19 Jan. 2024
The West in fact faces a crucial choice right now: support Ukraine so that its leaders can defend their territory and prepare for a 2025 offensive or cede an irrecoverable advantage to Russia.
—Jack Watling, Foreign Affairs, 3 Jan. 2024
Two of these horses were euthanized on the day of the Derby itself after suffering irrecoverable injuries, their trainers told The Associated Press.
—Justin Klawans, The Week, 9 May 2023
One line of thinking is that Russian forces would execute a swift, overwhelming strike meant to inflict massive and irrecoverable losses on the Ukrainian military that would spur a political capitulation (and possibly a change in government) in Kyiv.
—Nolan Peterson, WSJ, 20 Jan. 2022
Navalny has mounted a series of legal appeals against his poor treatment, but video camera evidence to prove his case has been unavailable, with officials claiming software failures, power surges and irrecoverable data, according to the report.
—Robyn Dixon, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irrecoverable
Adjective
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That doesn’t mean Trump's opponents are facing a hopeless task.Gunther Peck / Made by History, TIME, 12 Dec. 2024
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As Queenie, navigating empty relationships and professional disappointments on a journey from self-sabotage to self-worth, Brown makes a whole person from a variety of attitudes — hopeful, hopeless, hungover, exuberant, fretful, thoughtful.Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Not helping matters: Damian — who unbeknownst to Martha is still in Ingrid’s life — calmly informs Ingrid that the damage to the planet due to climate change is irreversible.Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
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More tests by a liver specialist revealed Sanchez had Stage 4 cirrhosis of the liver, which is irreversible even with medication.Daniel Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 15 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Once deleted, users can also manually empty the trash folder, making those files and communications irretrievable and truly deleted from the online platform.Lars Daniel, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
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Going into Comic-Con, Marvel really did need to reaffirm its swagger, to prove 2023 was a momentary ebb rather than the start of an irretrievable decline.Adam B. Vary, Variety, 28 July 2024
Adjective
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Defendants argue that Plaintiffs can compete as 'open' teams to avoid irreparable injury.Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
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Science & Medicine Why RFK Jr. nomination sets off alarms among many public health specialists Nov. 16, 2024 Bhattacharya was one of three authors of the Great Barrington Declaration, an October 2020 open letter maintaining that lockdowns were causing irreparable harm.Carla K. Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The rare brain malformation occurs in utero and is incurable, just like Stage 4 liver cirrhosis.Daniel Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 15 Dec. 2024
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Arthritis is currently incurable, but the Zoo staff managed her condition with various treatments and therapies to slow down the degenerative disease and lessen the pain.Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Only the heart’s memory, a delicate thread that binds us to eternity, tries to recover the unrecoverable — the fleeting moment with its mood, colors, and sounds.Andriy Sodomora (Tr. Sabrina Jaszi & Roman Ivashkiv), The Dial, 12 Dec. 2024
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Without access to the device, the conversation contents are unrecoverable.Lars Daniel, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near irrecoverable
Cite this Entry
“Irrecoverable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irrecoverable. Accessed 1 Jan. 2025.
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