Indescribably

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that is too exceptional to be captured by language To such a degree that it cannot be adequately communicated using words In a manner that leaves descriptions insufficient and inadequate
2. In a way so extraordinary that words fail to capture its essence
3. Expressed with such intensity or uniqueness that it defies verbal portrayal

Etymology: "Indescribably" is simply "indescribable" with the adverb ending "-ly" added. The adjective is formed from "describable" with the negating prefix "in-" attached, and "describable" comes from "describe" with the suffix "-able," meaning capable of being done. The adverbial ending traces back to a Proto-Germanic word meaning "body" or "form," which developed into "-like" in Old English. Over centuries, "-lic" shrank to "-ly," so that "like" and "-ly" are the same word worn down in different directions. Because the ending means "in the manner of," "indescribably" literally describes an action performed in a way that resists description. The construction is productive: nearly any adjective can take "-ly," which is why English can produce such a long chain of manner adverbs from a single root.

Synonyms: inexpressibly, unutterably, immeasurably, incomprehensibly, beyond words