WordGarden.ioinexhaustible
C1Pronunciation
UK
- /ˌɪnɛɡzˈɔːstəbəl/
US
- /ˌɪnɪɡˈzɔstəbəl/
Meanings
Adjective
so abundant or lasting that it cannot be used up
Beyond the definition
Imagine a well that never runs dry, or a person who keeps finding fresh ideas no matter how much they have already given. That is the feeling of this word. It describes something that seems impossible to use up because there is always more of it. People often use it for things like energy, patience, curiosity, love, or imagination. You might say a teacher has an inexhaustible supply of patience, or that a writer has an inexhaustible imagination because new ideas keep coming.
The word "inexhaustible" comes from the prefix "in-" meaning "not," combined with "exhaustible," which means able to be used up. So it literally means "not able to be used up." It describes a resource, quality, or source that seems to keep going without running out.
It can describe real supplies, such as "an inexhaustible source of solar energy," but it is very often used for human qualities and abstract things. We speak of "inexhaustible patience" when someone stays calm through repeated trouble, "inexhaustible curiosity" when someone always wants to learn more, or "inexhaustible energy" when a person never seems to slow down.
The word usually suggests more than just "a lot." It gives the idea of a supply or inner quality that keeps renewing itself. Because of that, it often has a slightly admiring tone. If you call someone's kindness or creativity inexhaustible, you are saying it seems to continue far beyond what you would normally expect.
Consider these examples: "Her energy seemed inexhaustible as she worked late into the night." "The child asked questions with inexhaustible curiosity." "For the team, the internet felt like an inexhaustible source of information." In everyday English, the word does not mean truly infinite in a scientific sense. It means something feels so abundant, steady, or renewing that it is hard to imagine it ever being depleted.
Examples
- 1
Personal energy
Even after a long flight, Mia arrived with seemingly inexhaustible energy.
- 2
Teaching
Teaching first graders requires inexhaustible patience.
- 3
Creative source
For local writers, the old harbor is an inexhaustible source of stories.
- 4
Data supply
The internet has given advertisers an almost inexhaustible supply of data.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Media interest
The press seems to have an inexhaustible appetite for celebrity breakups.
- Patternappetite for + topic
a strong interest in it
See also
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- inexhaustibleadjective