Word
insurmountable
Phoneticsin·sur·mount·able
US/ˌɪnsɝˈmaʊntəbəɫ/
UK/ɪnsəmˈaʊntəbəl/
Definition
adj. too large or difficult to deal with. You use this to describe a problem or obstacle that you cannot overcome.
adj. too great to be overcome or surmounted. Often used to describe abstract barriers, challenges, or logistical difficulties.
Examples
“The team faced insurmountable problems during the first week.”
“Despite their best efforts, the debt became insurmountable and the small business was forced to close.”
“The cultural and linguistic barriers proved insurmountable for the new administration, leading to a total breakdown in diplomatic relations between the two neighboring states.”
Examples
simple
“The team faced insurmountable problems during the first week.”
contextual
“Despite their best efforts, the debt became insurmountable and the small business was forced to close.”
complex
“The cultural and linguistic barriers proved insurmountable for the new administration, leading to a total breakdown in diplomatic relations between the two neighboring states.”
Usage
Typically used to modify nouns like 'obstacles', 'difficulties', 'problems', or 'odds'.
Real-World Examples
“They took part in the breakout expecting to be shot.”
Why did the vast majority of the 1,104 Japanese POWs held at Cowra take up arms against their captors despite facing insurmountable odds?” “The physics challenges of orbital data centers are formidable but not insurmountable.” Etymology
From in- + surmountable.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/insurmountable