indestructible

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌɪndɪˈstrʌktəbəl/ UK /ˌɪndɪˈstrʌktəbəl/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
impossible to destroy or break down

The vault was built of seemingly indestructible reinforced steel.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · impossible to destroy or... unbreakable imperishable durable invulnerable everlasting enduring

Opposites

destructible fragile breakable perishable

Word family

Derived forms indestructiblyindestructibility

Related forms destructibledestructdestruction destroy

Etymology

From Late Latin indestructibilis, from in- ('not') + destructibilis, from destruere ('to tear down'), from de- ('down') + struere ('to build, pile up').

destruere Latin struere Latin *strew- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# indestructible

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˌɪndɪˈstrʌktəbəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌɪndɪˈstrʌktəbəl/

## Meanings
1. impossible to destroy or break down

## Examples
- The vault was built of seemingly indestructible reinforced steel.

## Synonyms
- unbreakable
- imperishable
- durable
- invulnerable
- everlasting
- enduring

## Antonyms
- destructible
- fragile
- breakable
- perishable

## Derived Forms
- indestructibly
- indestructibility

## Related Forms
- destructible
- destruct
- destruction
- destroy

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: destruere
- Root: struere
- Root: *strew-

## Etymology
From Late Latin indestructibilis, from in- ('not') + destructibilis, from destruere ('to tear down'), from de- ('down') + struere ('to build, pile up').

## AI Etymology
indestructible comes from Late Latin indestructibilis, from in- ('not') + destructibilis, from destruere ('to tear down'), from de- ('down') + struere ('to build, pile up'). Morphologically, the prefixed shape matters: the initial element belongs to the recorded formation and helps explain the modern form's surface analysis. In present English, the adjective sense is "impossible to destroy or break down", so the historical development ends in a clearly identifiable modern dictionary use. The same base also appears in related forms such as destructible, destruct, destruction, and destroy, and in derivatives such as indestructibly and indestructibility. Its semantic neighborhood includes unbreakable, imperishable, durable, and invulnerable, which helps locate the modern sense without adding a separate etymological claim. The named historical forms include Latin destruere, Latin struere, and Proto-Indo-European *strew-.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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