inextinguishable

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   impossible or extremely difficult to extinguish

   The miners feared an inextinguishable fire deep within the coal seam.

2. 2
   adj

   impossible to suppress, destroy, or bring to an end

   She retained an inextinguishable hope of finding the missing records.

Formed from in- ("not") + extinguishable. Extinguish comes through Latin exstinguere ("to quench, put out"). The figurative sense applies the image of an unquenchable flame to hope, desire, memory, or will.

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