Word of the Day : April 16, 2017

interminable \in-TER-muh-nuh-bul\ adjective

Definition

: having or seeming to have no end; especially : wearisomely protracted

Examples

Hayley didn't think she would have the patience to sit through another interminable radio pledge drive without changing the station at least once.

"Garrett Richards' first thought when he found out about his torn elbow ligament in May was to schedule Tommy John surgery as soon as possible.… Richards knew how to handle the seemingly interminable months of rehab, and he wanted to get the clock started on his return." — Jorge L. Ortiz, USA Today, 28 Feb. 2017

Did You Know?

We promise not to ramble on endlessly about the origins of interminable. The word was borrowed into English in the 15th century and descends from a Latin combination of the prefix in- ("not") and the verb terminare, meaning "to terminate" or "to limit." The word describes not only something without an actual end (or no end in sight, such as "interminable oceans"), but also events, such as tedious lectures, that drag on in such a way that they give no clear indication of ever wrapping up. Other relatives of interminable in English include terminate, determine, terminal, and exterminate.

Aired April 16, 2017

All Merriam-Webster content is available at www.merriam-webster.com