interminable
gb/ɪntˈɚmənəbəl/ us/ɪntˈɚmənəbəl/
C1
English
~ 9400
Senses
0 senses
adjective
C1
property
1
extremely long and tedious
So long and slow that it feels like it will never end and makes people bored or impatient.
Usage pattern:
an interminable [event / activity / wait]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'interminable' when they simply mean 'long'. 'Interminable' almost always suggests a negative feeling (boredom, frustration). For a neutral meaning, 'long' or 'very long' is better. Learners may also confuse it with 'eternal', which can be positive or neutral (e.g., 'eternal love'), while 'interminable' is almost always critical.
Synonyms
endless (Focuses on having no end; not always negative, while 'interminable' usually suggests annoyance.)
|
tedious (Emphasizes boring and repetitive quality; may not always feel as extremely long as 'interminable'.)
|
never-ending (Informal and very close in meaning; slightly less strong and more conversational than 'interminable'.)
Antonyms
brief (Describes something that is short in time, the opposite of something that feels endlessly long.)
|
short (General opposite in duration, without the negative feeling of being dragged out.)
Collocations
interminable meeting
|interminable wait
|interminable speech
|interminable debate
|interminable journey
|interminable queue
Themes
time
|emotions
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- After an apparently interminable meeting, they finally agreed on a plan.
- She stared at the clock during the interminable lecture, wishing she were anywhere else.
- The movie was so slow that the last half hour felt absolutely interminable.
- He complained about the interminable journey through traffic to get home.
- The negotiations turned into an interminable process that exhausted everyone involved.
Learner examples
- We sat through an interminable speech that lasted over two hours.
- The line at the bank felt interminable to the tired customers.
- It was an interminable wait before the doctor called my name.
- The bus ride seemed interminable because I was very hungry.
- The meeting became interminable when people kept repeating the same points.
adjective
formal
C2
property
2
literally without end or limit
Continuing forever, with no end in time.
Usage pattern:
an interminable [process / conflict / chain]
Common mistake:
Learners may not notice the difference between this more literal sense and the more common emotional sense that focuses on boredom. In everyday speech, this formal sense is rare; 'infinite' or 'endless' are more common for the literal idea of no end.
Synonyms
ceaseless (Formal; emphasizes that something does not stop at all, rather than how it feels.)
|
perpetual (Often used in technical or philosophical contexts; can be more neutral than 'interminable'.)
Antonyms
finite (Highlights that something has clear limits or an end, opposite of being without end.)
|
temporary (Stresses that something only lasts for a limited time, in contrast to something continuing without end.)
Collocations
interminable chain
|interminable process
|interminable cycle
|interminable series
|interminable conflict
Themes
time
|philosophy
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The novel portrays history as an interminable cycle of war and peace.
- They feared being trapped in an almost interminable conflict with no clear solution.
- Some philosophers argue that time itself is an interminable flow without beginning or end.
Learner examples
- The story shows an interminable war between the two countries.
- He felt caught in an interminable cycle of work and worry.
- The scientist spoke of an interminable universe that has no end.
- They were tired of what seemed like an interminable process of tests and forms.
Grammar
Dictionary form
interminable
IPA
GB/ɪntˈɚmənəbəl/
US/ɪntˈɚmənəbəl/
Syllables & stress
in - ter - min - able (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ter)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: interminable
Word family
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.