Word.ws English Dictionary

inenarrable

Syllables: in·e·narr·a·ble/ɪnɪˈnæɹəb(ə)l/

inenarrable adjective: that cannot be told; indescribable, inexpressible, unspeakable.

Adjective

inenarrable (comparative more inenarrable, superlative most inenarrable)

  1. (formal, literary) That cannot be told; indescribable, inexpressible, unspeakable.
    • For where almyghty god is reſydent all thynges be good, whoſe goodnes is inenarrable and euerlaſtynge.1508, John Fisher, “This Treatyse Concernynge the Fruytful Saynges of Dauyd the Kynge & Prophete in the Seuen Penytencyall Psalmes. […] [Psalm CII.]”, in John E[yton] B[ickersteth] Mayor, compiler...
    • And Saint Peter saith that whoso believe in Christ, although they be afflicted with divers temptations, yet they rejoice with a glorious and inenarrable joyfulness.1548, Aonio Paleario, “Certain Remedies against Incredulity or Unbelief”, in Edward Courtenay, Earl of Devonshire, transl., The Benefit of Christ’s Death: […], London: Bell & Daldy; Cambridge...

Examples of inenarrable in a sentence

  • The heavenly sound which shall be inenarrable, / Into their ears continually shall ring. / And eke the sight of Christ Jesus our King.a. 1556, David Lindsay [i.e., David Lyndsay], “The Monarchy; or, Ane Dialogue betwixt Experience and Ane Courtier of the Miserable Estate...
  • The princes then, and navy that did bring / Those so inenarrable troops, and all their soils, I sing.[1611?], Homer, “Book II”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., The Iliads of Homer Prince of Poets. […], London: […] Nathaniell Butter, →OCLC...
  • The pleasance of our starry residence, / In human, bald speech inenarrable, / Transcends your dreams of Arcady and Eden.1877, John Davidson, “An Unhistorical Pastoral”, in Plays by John Davidson […], London: [Charles] Elkin Mathews and John Lane; Chicago...
  • Shall I not crown them with immortal praise / Whom I have loved, who have given me, dared with me / High secrets, and in darkness knelt to see / The inenarrable godhead of delight?1914, Rupert Brooke, “[The South Seas.] The Great Lover”, in 1914 and Other Poems, London: Sidgwick & Jackson […], published 1915, →OCLC...

Synonyms of inenarrable

6 more synonymsFewer synonyms

Antonyms

2 more antonymsFewer antonyms

All synonyms and antonyms of inenarrable

Forms of inenarrable

comparativemore inenarrable
superlativemost inenarrable

Origin of inenarrable

Learned borrowing from French inénarrable, from Latin inēnārrābilis (“indescribable”), from in- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + ēnārrābilis (“describable, explainable”). Ēnārrābilis is derived from ēnārrāre + -bilis (suffix forming adjectives indicating a capacity or worth of being acted upon); ēnārrāre is the present active infinitive of ēnārrō (“to explain in detail, expound”), from ē- (a variant of ex- (prefix meaning ‘away; out; thoroughly’)) + narrō (“to say; to relate, tell; to describe; to recount, report”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (“to know”)). The English word is analysable as in- + enarrable. Compare ignorant and -able for the components.

Questions about inenarrable

What does inenarrable mean?
Inenarrable means that cannot be told; indescribable, inexpressible, unspeakable.
How do you use inenarrable in a sentence?
The heavenly sound which shall be inenarrable, / Into their ears continually shall ring. / And eke the sight of Christ Jesus our King.
What part of speech is inenarrable?
Inenarrable is an adjective.
How do you pronounce inenarrable?
Inenarrable is pronounced /ɪnɪˈnæɹəb(ə)l/ (UK).

Words near inenarrable in the dictionary

  1. inemendable
  2. inemotive
  3. inemotivity
  4. inemulous
  5. inemuri
  6. inenarrable
  7. inenchyma
  8. inenergetic
  9. inenubilable
  10. inenumerable
  11. inept

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: inenarrable (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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