ineffable

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ɪnˈɛfəbəl/ UK /ɪnˈɛfəbəl/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
too great or sacred to be expressed in words

She felt an ineffable joy watching the sunrise over the sea.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · too great or sacred to be... unspeakable inexpressible indescribable unutterable transcendent sublime

Opposites

expressible describableutterable

Word family

Forms ineffably

Derived forms ineffablyineffabilityineffableness

Related forms effablefable fate affable

Etymology

From Latin ineffabilis ('unutterable'), from in- ('not') + effabilis ('utterable'), from effari ('to utter'), from ex- ('out') + fari ('to speak').

ineffabilis Latin fari Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# ineffable

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

## Meanings
1. too great or sacred to be expressed in words

## Examples
- She felt an ineffable joy watching the sunrise over the sea.

## Synonyms
- unspeakable
- inexpressible
- indescribable
- unutterable
- transcendent
- sublime

## Antonyms
- expressible
- describable
- utterable

## Derived Forms
- ineffably
- ineffability
- ineffableness

## Related Forms
- effable
- fable
- fate
- affable

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: ineffabilis
- Root: fari

## Etymology
From Latin ineffabilis ('unutterable'), from in- ('not') + effabilis ('utterable'), from effari ('to utter'), from ex- ('out') + fari ('to speak').

## AI Etymology
Ineffable comes from Latin ineffabilis ('unutterable'), from in- ('not') + effabilis ('utterable'), from effari ('to utter'), from ex- ('out') + fari ('to speak'). The historical trail runs through Latin ineffabilis and Latin fari. Morphologically, the surface form is analyzable into prefixes, suffixes, compounds, or participial endings that carry part of the history. In modern use it means too great or sacred to be expressed in words. Derived formations include ineffably, ineffability, ineffableness; related forms include effable, fable, fate, affable.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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