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illustration Ineffable

Ineffable

[i-ˈne-fə-bəl]

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Late Middle English

1.

Too big or extreme for words to express

2.

Not to be spoken of due to its sacredness

3.

Indescribable

Examples of Ineffable in a sentence

"I felt ineffable joy when my daughter was born."

"In certain religions, God is as mysterious as his or her or its ineffable name."

About Ineffable

Ineffable carries an interesting role in religious history, as it can be used to describe things both too sacred to be discussed and too evil to be mentioned. For example, a divine creator's mercy might be considered ineffable, but so too could the whispering influence of the devil.

Did you Know?

Ineffable is a bit ironic by its very nature — it’s a word used to describe something that can’t be described in words.

illustration Ineffable

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