WordGarden.ioinexorable
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /ɪnˈɛksərəbəl/
US
- /ˌɪˈnɛksərəbəl/
Meanings
Adjective
impossible to stop, prevent, or change
Beyond the definition
Imagine a river carving its way through stone over centuries. It doesn't hurry, and it doesn't pause; it just keeps going. That's the feeling of "inexorable." It describes something that moves forward steadily and cannot be stopped, delayed, or persuaded to change course. Time itself is often described this way; you can't stop it from moving on. A storm, a rising tide, or the spread of a serious problem can all feel inexorable.
The word comes from Latin roots meaning "not to be moved by entreaty"—in other words, not affected by begging or pleading. It is not necessarily fast, but it feels certain and unchanging. You would not usually describe a gentle breeze this way, but you might describe the advance of age, the pressure of events, or the slow approach of disaster.
"Inexorable" describes something utterly unstoppable, relentless, and inevitable. It suggests a force that continues onward with unwavering determination, regardless of any opposition. It is more than just strong; it implies an unyielding quality, a sense of fate or destiny.
Think of the inexorable pull of gravity or the inexorable march of the seasons. These are forces we can observe and even predict, but never alter. Historically, "inexorable" was often used to describe powerful rulers or deities—figures whose will could not be denied or changed by pleading.
Today, it is still used in contexts involving strong, unavoidable processes. You might read about the inexorable decline of a species due to habitat loss, the inexorable rise in global temperatures, or the inexorable spread of a fire. It can also describe pressure that keeps building: the inexorable approach of war, the inexorable logic of events, or the inexorable movement of a machine.
The key is that something inexorable is not just difficult to stop; it seems impossible to stop or turn aside. The word often carries a serious, heavy feeling. It is commonly used for time, change, decay, growth, movement, or events that keep advancing no matter what anyone does. When you choose "inexorable," you are stressing steady, unavoidable progress toward an outcome.
Examples
- 1
Medical course
Even with treatment, the disease followed an inexorable course.
- 2
Food prices
Families were struggling with the inexorable rise in food prices.
- 3
Corporate scandal
Once the emails became public, the company’s resignation felt almost inexorable.
- 4
Reasoning
His argument had an inexorable logic: if the factory kept losing money, it would eventually close.
- Phraseinexorable logic
reasoning that is very hard to argue against
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Time
The film is really about people trying to resist the inexorable march of time.
- Phrasethe march of time
the passing of time
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- inexorable rise
- inexorable march
- inexorable logic
Word family
Explore
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- inexorableadjective