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interminable

A2
Uncommon

Pronunciation

UK

  • /ɪntˈɜːmɪnəbəl/

US

  • /ˌɪnˈtɜrmənəbəl/

Meanings

Adjective

  1. lasting so long that it seems endless or tedious

Beyond the definition

If something feels interminable, it seems to go on forever, even if it does end eventually. Think of a long car ride with restless children or the wait for important test results. Those moments can feel truly interminable. The word comes from the Latin terminus, meaning "end," combined with the prefix in-, meaning "not." So, interminable literally means "without an end." A boring lecture, a tedious task, or a frustrating delay can all be described as interminable.

Examples

  1. 1

    Long meeting

    The meeting felt interminable after the first hour.

  2. 2

    Airport line

    We waited in an interminable line outside the airport.

  3. 3

    Storytelling

    He told us another interminable story about problems at work.

  4. 4

    Bureaucracy

    The project was slowed down by interminable delays and paperwork.

More examples
  1. 5

    Debate

    The two sides returned to the same point again and again in an interminable debate.

See also

Similar

Shades of meaning

Contrast

Used with (collocations)

  • interminable wait
  • interminable meeting
  • interminable delays
  • seem interminable

Word family

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Forms and spellings

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Main spelling

  • interminableadjective