Word of the Day

: July 9, 2009

inexorable

adjective i-NEK-suh-ruh-bul

What It Means

: not to be persuaded, moved, or stopped : relentless

inexorable in Context

These ancient ruins have slowly succumbed to the inexorable ravages of time.

Did You Know?

The Latin antecedent of "inexorable" is "inexorabilis," which is itself a combination of the prefix "in-," meaning "not," plus "exorabilis," meaning "pliant" or "capable of being moved by entreaty." "Exorabilis" in turn derives ultimately from the Latin verb "orare," meaning "to speak or plead." It's a fitting etymology for "inexorable." You can beseech and implore until you're blue in the face, but that won't have any effect on something that's inexorable. "Inexorable" has been a part of the English language since the 1500s. Originally, it was often applied to persons, or sometimes to personified things ("deaf and inexorable laws"). These days, it is usually applied to things, as in "inexorable monotony" or "an inexorable trend." In such cases, it essentially means "unyielding" or "inflexible."