Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective So unpleasant, distasteful, or painful as to be intolerable.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Not to be borne or endured; intolerable.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective so unpleasant or painful as to be unendurable

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective incapable of being put up with

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

un- +‎ bearable.

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Examples

Comments

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  • At a posh Manhattan dinner party, a Latin American visitor was telling the guests about this home country and himself. As he concluded, he said, "And I have a charming and understanding wife but, alas, no children."

    As his listeners appeared to be waiting for him to continue, he said, haltingly, "You see, my wife is unbearable."

    Puzzled glances prompted him to try to clarify the matter: "What I mean is, my wife is inconceivable."

    As his companions seemed amused, he floundered deeper into the intricacies of the English language, explaining triumphantly, "That is, my wife, she is impregnable!"

    March 10, 2010