ineffable

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: in=ef=fa=ble

CIDE DICTIONARY

ineffable, a. [L. ineffabilis: cf. F. ineffable. See In- not, and Effable, Fame.].

 Incapable of being expressed in words; unspeakable; unutterable; indescribable; as, the ineffable joys of heaven.  [1913 Webster]
"Contentment with our lot . . . will diffuse ineffable contentment over the soul."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

ineffable, adj.
1 unutterable; too great for description in words.
2 that must not be uttered.

Derivative

ineffability n. ineffably adv.

Etymology

ME f. OF ineffable or L ineffabilis (as IN-(1), effari speak out, utter)

THESAURUS

ineffable

abstract, awesome, awful, celestial, divine, empyreal, empyrean, ethereal, exceptional, extraordinary, fabulous, heavenly, holy, ideal, incommunicable, indefinable, indescribable, inenarrable, inexpressible, innominable, inviolable, inviolate, legendary, marvelous, mythical, noncommunicable, noteworthy, numinous, phenomenal, portentous, prodigious, religious, remarkable, sacred, sacrosanct, spiritual, stupefying, stupendous, transcendent, transcendental, undefinable, unexampled, unmentionable, unnameable, unparalleled, unprecedented, unspeakable, untellable, untouchable, unutterable, unwhisperable, venerable, wonderful

ROGET THESAURUS

ineffable

Greatness

N greatness, magnitude, size, multitude, immensity, enormity, infinity, might, strength, intensity, fullness, importance, great quantity, quantity, deal, power, sight, pot, volume, world, mass, heap, stock, peck, bushel, load, cargo, cartload, wagonload, shipload, flood, spring tide, abundance, principal part, chief part, main part, greater part, major part, best part, essential part, bulk, mass, great, greater, large, considerable, fair, above par, big, huge, Herculean, cyclopean, ample, abundant, full, intense, strong, sound, passing, heavy, plenary, deep, high, signal, at its height, in the zenith, world-wide, widespread, far-famed, extensive, wholesale, many, goodly, noble, precious, mighty, sad, grave, heavy, serious, far gone, arrant, downright, utter, uttermost, crass, gross, arch, profound, intense, consummate, rank, uninitiated, red-hot, desperate, glaring, flagrant, stark staring, thorough-paced, thoroughgoing, roaring, thumping, extraordinary, important, unsurpassed, complete, august, grand, dignified, sublime, majestic, vast, immense, enormous, extreme, inordinate, excessive, extravagant, exorbitant, outrageous, preposterous, unconscionable, swinging, monstrous, overgrown, towering, stupendous, prodigious, astonishing, incredible, marvelous, unlimited, unapproachable, unutterable, indescribable, ineffable, unspeakable, inexpressible, beyond expression, fabulous, undiminished, unabated, unreduced, unrestricted, absolute, positive, stark, decided, unequivocal, essential, perfect, finished, remarkable, of mark, marked, pointed, veriest, noteworthy, renowned, truly, decidedly, unequivocally, purely, absolutely, seriously, essentially, fundamentally, radically, downright, in all conscience, for the most part, in the main, entirely, abundantly, widely, far and wide, greatly, much, muckle, well, indeed, very, very much, a deal, no end of, most, not a little, pretty, pretty well, enough, in a great measure, richly, to a large extent, to a great extent, to a gigantic extent, on a large scale, so, never so, ever so, ever so dole, scrap, shred, tag, splinter, rag, much, by wholesale, mighty, powerfully, with a witness, ultra, in the extreme, extremely, exceedingly, intensely, exquisitely, acutely, indefinitely, immeasurably, beyond compare, beyond comparison, beyond measure, beyond all bounds, incalculably, infinitely, preeminently, superlatively, immoderately, monstrously, preposterously, inordinately, exorbitantly, excessively, enormously, out of all proportion, with a vengeance, particularly, remarkably, singularly, curiously, uncommonly, unusually, peculiarly, notably, signally, strikingly, pointedly, mainly, chiefly, famously, egregiously, prominently, glaringly, emphatically, kat exochin, strangely, wonderfully, amazingly, surprisingly, astonishingly, incredibly, marvelously, awfully, stupendously, peculiarly, furiously, severely, desperately, tremendously, extravagantly, confoundedly, deucedly, devilishly, with a vengeance, a outrance, a toute outrance, painfully, sadly, grossly, sorely, bitterly, piteously, grievously, miserably, cruelly, woefully, lamentably, shockingly, frightfully, dreadfully, fearfully, terribly, horribly, a maximis ad minima, greatness knows itself, mightiest powers by deepest calms are fed, minimum decet libere cui multum licet, some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.