intolerable

adjective

in·​tol·​er·​a·​ble (ˌ)in-ˈtä-lə-rə-bəl How to pronounce intolerable (audio)
-ˈtäl-rə-,
-ˈtä-lər-bəl
1
: not tolerable : unbearable
intolerable pain
2
intolerability
(ˌ)in-ˌtä-lə-rə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce intolerable (audio)
-ˌtäl-rə-
-ˌtä-lər-
noun
intolerableness
(ˌ)in-ˈtä-lə-rə-bəl-nəs How to pronounce intolerable (audio)
-ˈtäl-rə-
-ˈtä-lər-bəl-
noun
intolerably
(ˌ)in-ˈtä-lə-rə-blē How to pronounce intolerable (audio)
-ˈtäl-rə-
-ˈtä-lər-blē
adverb

Examples of intolerable in a Sentence

She divorced him on the grounds of intolerable cruelty. this stifling heat is intolerable
Recent Examples on the Web In January, 2021, Navalny boarded a flight to Moscow, knowing full well that his moral prestige represented an intolerable threat to the regime. David Remnick, The New Yorker, 25 Feb. 2024 Deeming that outcome intolerable, legislators instead decreed that guns may not be carried in most public areas. Jacob Sullum, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 What’s missing is leadership to disrupt a process where intolerable delays are accepted as inevitable. Miriam Pawel, The Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2024 The impact on working- and middle-class Americans would be intolerable. Andrew Puzder, National Review, 5 Feb. 2024 Her Instagram is full of smooching selfies, candid captions about intolerable plane trips and glamorous photos of Stewart mingling with celebrities like Serena Williams at exclusive galas. Scottie Andrew, CNN, 3 Feb. 2024 People naturally seek to leave countries where living conditions are intolerable and seek entry where conditions are presumed better. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2024 In late October, its roughly 250 residents fled, packing up their homes, saying attacks and threats from Israeli settlers had become intolerable, according to villagers. Patrick Reevell, ABC News, 19 Dec. 2023 Any complete approach to productivity in 2024 must directly address non-stop messaging and calendars stuffed with calls and meetings—problems that were amplified to intolerable levels by the pandemic. Cal Newport, The New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'intolerable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin intolerabilis, from in- + tolerabilis tolerable

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of intolerable was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near intolerable

Cite this Entry

“Intolerable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intolerable. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

intolerable

adjective
in·​tol·​er·​a·​ble (ˈ)in-ˈtäl-(ə-)rə-bəl How to pronounce intolerable (audio)
-ˈtäl-ər-bəl
: not tolerable : unbearable
intolerable pain
intolerably adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on intolerable

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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