interminable
adjective
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We promise not to ramble on endlessly about the origins of interminable. This word was borrowed into English in the 15th century, from a Latin word combining the prefix in- ("not") and the verb terminare, meaning "to terminate" or "to limit." Interminable describes not only something without an actual end (or no end in sight, such as "interminable traffic"), but also events, such as tedious lectures, that drag on in such a way that they give no clear indication of ever wrapping up. Some relatives of interminable in English include terminate, determine, terminal, and exterminate.
Examples of interminable in a Sentence
Chandler Rome, New York Times, 19 May 2025
And an outright bad host (see the bottom) can make the 90-minute show seem interminable and out of touch.
—Omar L. Gallaga, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2025
In his speech in Riyadh, President Trump discarded the neoconservative, morality-based, nation building approach which led to the creation during the George W. Bush years of disastrous, seemingly interminable wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
—David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025
The minutes drag, and not just when Shults holds on interminable long takes giving actors in need of guardrails far too much room to fail.
—Charles Bramesco, IndieWire, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for interminable
Cite this Entry
“Interminable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interminable. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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interminable
adjective
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