indescribable

USAGE SUMMARY

"indescribable" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that cannot be described in words, or to emphasize the difficulty of describing something or someone. Example sentence: Her beauty was simply indescribable.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The report recalls the "indescribable horror" the charity faced when Ebola first struck last March.

The Guardian

Antonio Valencia tries not to think about that night any more, the indescribable pain, the fear that flashed through his mind when he looked down at his leg and realised it had been snapped like a dried twig, his foot hanging back to front.

The Guardian - Sport

"It is truly indescribable," says Sami Angawi, architect and founder of the Jeddah-based Hajj Research Centre, who has spent the last three decades researching and documenting the historic buildings of Mecca and Medina, few of which now remain.

The Guardian - Arts

And yet it is hard to describe – indescribable, until you're up there, looking down – because the mountain is something other than its substance, something more.

The Guardian - Books

Pain is indescribable.

The Guardian

"It was indescribable," recalls Anka.

The Guardian - Music

Being Hungarian, his mind would fly first to sulz, an indescribable delicacy of pigs' trotters in aspic, or to his mother's Transylvanian stuffed cabbage; he would even spare a fond thought for the Imperial rolls, washed down with milk, which had sweetened the breaks between lessons at school.

The Economist

REFERRING to "the indescribable agony and horror of recent events", the prime minister went on to deliver a deeply-felt plea for the president to exercise caution: "The sense of outrage this brings can beget dangerous counsels, impatient and exasperated demands to hit back in ways that would widen and not end the war.

The Economist

Ross insisted that "nothing was indescribable"; that the most complex idea or gizmo could be made intelligible.This exactness of observation and fascination with detail runs through McKelway's essays.

The Economist

It overflows with the poetry, revelling in its "lightness" and "alacrity"; that is how it should be, for Herbert's inner life is indescribable in any other form.

The Economist

Bank of China runs an eight-week programme ("full of contentment, yet indescribable", according to an intern quoted on its website); Alibaba, a Chinese online-retailing behemoth, has a global scheme.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "indescribable" to convey the intensity of an experience, emotion, or scene when you genuinely feel words fall short. Avoid overuse to maintain its impact.

Common error

Avoid using "indescribable" as a substitute for vivid and descriptive language. Instead, use it sparingly to emphasize the truly extraordinary, and focus on concrete details whenever possible.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "indescribable" is as an adjective. It modifies nouns to indicate that they are impossible or very difficult to describe. As Ludwig highlights, it effectively conveys the idea that words fail to capture the essence of something.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

42%

Encyclopedias

12%

Science

12%

Less common in

Formal & Business

6%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "indescribable" is an adjective used to convey that something is impossible or extremely difficult to describe. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically correct and usable in various contexts. It is very common in news, encyclopedias, and scientific writing. When writing, use it sparingly to create emphasis and avoid using it as a substitute for specific descriptive language. Alternatives include "beyond description" and "ineffable". Remember to avoid overuse to maintain its impact.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

beyond description

Focuses on exceeding the limits of what can be described.

defies description

Highlights the resistance of something to being adequately described.

unspeakable

Emphasizes the inability or unwillingness to speak about something, often due to its intensity.

ineffable

Indicates something that is too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words.

unutterable

Stresses the impossibility of expressing something verbally.

beyond words

Highlights that the feeling or experience is too profound to be adequately expressed through language.

boggles the mind

Emphasizes the overwhelming and incomprehensible nature of something.

beggars description

Indicates that something is so extraordinary that it cannot be properly described.

hard to put into words

Focuses on the difficulty of articulating something.

eludes description

Highlights the difficulty in capturing the essence of something in words.

FAQs

How can I use "indescribable" in a sentence?

You can use "indescribable" to describe feelings, sights, sounds, or experiences that are difficult or impossible to put into words. For example, "The beauty of the sunset was indescribable".

What are some synonyms for "indescribable"?

Synonyms for "indescribable" include "ineffable", "unutterable", and "beyond words". These words all convey the idea that something is difficult or impossible to describe.

When is it appropriate to use "indescribable"?

It's appropriate to use "indescribable" when you want to emphasize that something is so unique, intense, or complex that it defies easy description. It's best used when you've already attempted to describe something but feel that words still fall short.

What's the difference between "indescribable" and "hard to describe"?

"Indescribable" suggests something is essentially impossible to describe adequately, while "hard to describe" simply indicates that something is difficult to describe, but not necessarily impossible. The first emphasizes impossibility, while the second focuses on difficulty.