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incurably

B1
Rare

Pronunciation

UK

  • /ɪnkjˈɔːrəbli/

US

    Meanings

    Adverb

    1. in a way that cannot be cured

    2. in a hopelessly fixed or unchangeable way

    Beyond the definition

    If someone has an incurably optimistic outlook, it means they stay cheerful no matter what happens. The word comes from the idea of an illness that cannot be cured. But it is not used only for health. Someone can be incurably romantic, incurably curious, or incurably shy. In these cases, it means the quality feels deep, lasting, and very hard to change. It often describes something that seems like a permanent part of a person's nature, for better or for worse.

    Examples

    1. 1

      Medical condition

      By the time the disease was diagnosed, she was incurably ill.

    2. 2

      Optimistic personality

      Even after two failed startups, he remained incurably optimistic.

      • Patternincurably + adjective

        the quality seems impossible to change

    3. 3

      Curiosity

      My brother is incurably curious and always wants to know how things work.

    4. 4

      Personal habits

      She is incurably untidy, no matter how often she promises to clean up.

    More examples
    1. 5

      Romantic character

      The novel’s main character is an incurably romantic man who keeps believing in perfect love.

    See also

    Similar

    Shades of meaning

    Contrast

    Used with (collocations)

    • incurably ill
    • incurably romantic
    • incurably optimistic

    Word family

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    Forms and spellings

    1 form open this card.

    Main spelling

    • incurablyadverb