English Reference
Adjective

unspeakable

adj.
C1 Advanced US /ənˈspikəbəɫ/ UK /ʌnspˈiːkəbəl/ un·speak·able Programming

adj.too terrible or shocking to be described with words. You use this when something is so bad that you cannot even talk about it.

adj.too extreme, intense, or horrific to be expressed in words. Often used to describe profound suffering or moral atrocities.


SIMPLE

The victims suffered unspeakable pain during the war.

CONTEXTUAL

The documentary reveals the unspeakable conditions inside the abandoned prison during the late nineteenth century.

COMPLEX

The survivors were left to grapple with the unspeakable trauma of the disaster, finding that language was often insufficient to convey the depth of their loss.

Usage

Typically used attributively before a noun to emphasize the extreme nature of a negative quality.

Understand the horror: on the day you read this, as on every other, an average of 17 people will die in unspeakable pain, disgust and terror that nothing can relieve.

The Guardian· 10 Sept 2026

From Middle English unspekable, equivalent to un- + speakable.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Middle English unspekable
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated