ineffable

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(ĭn-ĕf'ə-bəl) pronunciation
adj.
  1. Incapable of being expressed; indescribable or unutterable. See synonyms at unspeakable.
  2. Not to be uttered; taboo: the ineffable name of God.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin ineffābilis : in-, not; see in-1 + effābilis, utterable (from effārī, to utter : ex-, ex- + fārī, to speak).]

ineffability in·ef'fa·bil'i·ty or in·ef'fa·ble·ness n.
ineffably in·ef'fa·bly adv.

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adjective

    That cannot be described: incommunicable, indefinable, indescribable, inexpressible, undescribable, unspeakable, unutterable. Idioms: beyond description, defying description. See words.

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adj

Definition: too great for words
Antonyms: definable, describable, utterable

That which is particular to an experience, and cannot be communicated. It is sometimes thought that the precise feels of particular qualia of experience are ineffable. The other examples of philosophical interest are the states of mind achieved in mystical ecstasy, which are often felt to be especially revelatory of the true nature of the world, but also incommunicable. However the notion of an incommunicable content is commonly regarded with grave suspicion, on the grounds that genuine content involves the recognition of something; that this requires the application of rules; but rules must be public and communicable. See also private language argument, rule-following considerations.

Obscure Words:

ineffable

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unspeakable, indescribable  (see also inenarrable)
Word Tutor:

ineffable

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pronunciation

IN BRIEF: Incapable of being expressed in words.

pronunciation I saw the dance as a vision of ineffable power. A man could, with dignity and a towering majesty, dance. — José Limón, Mexican dancer & choreographer.

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categories related to 'ineffable'

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Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
For a list of words related to ineffable, see:

Translations:

Ineffable

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Dansk (Danish)
adj. - usigelig, uudsigelig, ubeskrivelig

Nederlands (Dutch)
onzegbaar, onuitspreekbaar

Français (French)
adj. - (Relig) ineffable, inexprimable

Deutsch (German)
adj. - unnennbar, unsagbar

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - άφατος, ανείπωτος, απερίγραπτος

Italiano (Italian)
ineffabile

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - inefável

Русский (Russian)
невыразимый, святой

Español (Spanish)
adj. - inefable

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - outsäglig, obeskrivlig

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
无法形容的, 不应说出的, 说不出的

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 無法形容的, 不應說出的, 說不出的

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 이루 말 할 수 없는, 신성한

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 言いようのない, 口にすべきでない

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) يفوق الوصف‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮נפלא, שאין להביעו במלים, בל-יתואר‬


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Mentioned in

Jah (in the Old Testament)
Jehovah (in the Old Testament, Judaism)
Adonai (Lord)