# insatiable

/ˌɪnˈseɪʃəbəɫ/ (US) · /ɪnsˈeɪʃɪəbəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/insatiable
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. impossible to satisfy

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

having a desire or need that is so great it can never be satisfied, no matter how much you get.

For teachers: incapable of being satiated or appeased; typically applied to abstract desires like curiosity, greed, or ambition.

- The young student had an insatiable curiosity and read every book in the library.
- The corporation's insatiable appetite for expansion eventually led to a series of risky acquisitions that destabilized the entire market.

Usage: Commonly used to modify abstract nouns such as 'appetite', 'curiosity', 'desire', or 'greed'.

Teaching tip: While it can describe physical hunger, it is most frequently used metaphorically for mental or emotional drives.

## Examples

- The young child has an insatiable curiosity about nature.
- Despite his massive wealth, the businessman had an insatiable appetite for power and continued to buy smaller companies.
- The public's insatiable demand for celebrity gossip has fueled the rise of invasive tabloid journalism and the constant presence of paparazzi in major cities.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.