ENGLISH
REFERENCE

intolerable

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˌɪnˈtɑɫɝəbəɫ// UK //ɪntˈɒləɹəbəl// in·tol·er·a·ble

adj. too bad, painful, or difficult to deal with. You use this when you cannot accept or handle a situation any longer.

adj. too severe, unpleasant, or extreme to be accepted or endured. Often used predicatively after linking verbs like 'become' or 'remain'.


SIMPLE

The heat in the room became intolerable.

CONTEXTUAL

The constant noise from the construction site next door made working from home intolerable for the residents.

COMPLEX

While minor disagreements are expected in any partnership, the persistent lack of transparency eventually created an intolerable atmosphere of distrust that led to the firm's dissolution.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

Inherited from Middle English intolerable, borrowed from Middle French intolerable, from Latin intolerābilis. By surface analysis, in- + tolerable.

Usage

Often follows linking verbs or modifies abstract nouns like 'pain', 'burden', or 'conditions'.

Pitfall

The pain was untolerableThe pain was intolerableLearners often use the prefix 'un-' because of the verb 'unfold' or 'unpleasant', but 'intolerable' uses the Latinate prefix 'in-'.

© 2026 English Reference