What does interminable mean?
Interminable is a formal adjective meaning lasting for an extremely long time, often so long that the experience feels as though it has no end. It is especially useful for describing delays, waits, processes, journeys, or negotiations that continue far beyond what might reasonably be expected. The word commonly carries a mildly critical or exasperated tone, suggesting that the duration is excessive, not merely lengthy. For example, an “interminable wait” implies both considerable duration and the speaker’s impatience. Interminable can occasionally be used more neutrally, but its strongest modern associations are with experiences that seem interminable rather than with genuinely infinite duration. It comes from Latin roots meaning “between” and “limit,” reflecting the original sense of something extending beyond proper bounds.
adjectiveContinuing for such a long time that it seems to have no end; endless or virtually limitless in duration. It can describe an activity, process, delay, or wait that continues excessively or indefinitely.
- Continuing for an extremely long time or with no apparent end.
"After an interminable wait, the committee finally reached a decision."
"The journey across the mountain pass became an interminable trek through fog and rain."
"She was held in what seemed like an interminable series of meetings before the proposal was approved."
An interminable wait turns a small delay into a story worth telling.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does interminable come from?
Interminable was formed in the early 19th century from Latin inter-, meaning “between,” and terminabilis, meaning “having limits” or “endable.” Its underlying sense was “not capable of being limited or ended.” The word ultimately draws on the Latin root terminus, meaning “boundary” or “end,” which also appears in cognates such as terminal, terminate, and exterminate. Over time, the modern meaning developed into “lasting for a very long time” or “seemingly endless.”
Related word forms
How interminable is actually used
The word is formal and often conveys irritation, frustration, or exaggeration rather than a literal claim that something will last forever.
Easily confused with interminable
Continuous means that something continues without interruption, whereas interminable emphasizes that it continues for an excessively or seemingly endless length of time.
Infinite describes something that is mathematically or conceptually without limit, while interminable usually describes a real process, delay, or activity that seems to continue forever.