# unutterable

/ʌnˈʌtəɹəbəl/ (US) · /ʌnˈʌtəɹəbəl/ (UK) · CEFR C2 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/unutterable
Updated: 2026-09-29

## Definition

too strong or extreme to be described in words. You use this to talk about feelings like deep sadness or great joy that are impossible to explain.

For teachers: too great, intense, or awful to be expressed or described in speech. Often used to modify abstract nouns related to emotion or suffering.

## Examples

- She felt an unutterable sense of loss after the accident.
- The survivors stood in unutterable silence as they looked at the ruins of their former homes.
- The poet attempted to capture the unutterable beauty of the mountain range at dawn, though he admitted that language often fails to reach such heights.

## Synonyms

ineffable, unspeakable, indescribable, unnameable, indefinable, untellable, unpronounceable

## Usage notes

- Typically used attributively before a noun; carries a literary or formal tone.

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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.