Inexorable
/ɪnˈɛksərəbl/
adjectiveC2
Definition
Inexorable means impossible to stop or prevent. It is used to describe things, like time or fate, that continue without any chance to change or escape. It often feels like a strong, steady force that moves forward no matter what.
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See It in Action
Impossible to stop or prevent
- •The inexorable rise of the sun marks the start of a new day.
- •Climate change is an inexorable process if we do not act quickly.
- •The inexorable march of time affects everyone equally.
Relentless or unyielding in attitude or action (less common)
- •The judge was inexorable in his decision, refusing to change his mind.
- •Her inexorable will helped her finish the difficult project.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "inexorable" like "unstoppable" (A2 word), but more serious and formal—like a very strong force you cannot fight
- ✓Picture a huge, slow-moving glacier (big ice) that keeps moving forward and will crush anything in its path
- ✓It's the feeling when something bad is going to happen and you know you cannot stop it no matter how hard you try
- ✓Sounds like "in-EX-or-a-ble" → imagine a strong EX-force (like a powerful ex-partner) that will not leave or change
- ✓Think of the "March of Time" in movies—always moving forward, never stopping or waiting for anyone
- ✓NOT like "stop" or "pause"—inexorable means no stopping or changing possible
- ✓NOT like "changeable" or "avoidable"—it means something is fixed and must happen
- ✓NOT like "slow" or "fast"—it is about the impossibility to stop, not speed
Try Other Words
- •Relentless: never stopping or giving up (Use when focusing on continuous effort or pressure)
- •Unavoidable: cannot be avoided or escaped (Use when emphasizing that something must happen)
- •Inescapable: impossible to get away from (Use when focusing on physical or emotional escape being impossible)
Unboxing
- •Prefix: "in-" (not) + root: "exor" from Latin "exorare" meaning "to plead or persuade" + suffix: "-able" (able to be)
- •Etymology: From Latin "inexorabilis," meaning "not able to be persuaded or moved"
- •Historical development: Originally used to describe people who could not be persuaded or moved by words; later used for events or forces that cannot be stopped
- •Modern usage: Used to describe unstoppable events, forces, or attitudes that continue no matter what
Reflect & Connect
•Can you think of situations in life where something felt inexorable? How did that make you feel?
•How does understanding the idea of inexorability help us accept or prepare for difficult events?
Fill in the blanks
1.The inexorable passage of time means that we ___ stop getting older.
2.When facing an inexorable problem, people often feel ___ because they cannot change the situation.
3.Unlike a sudden event, an inexorable process happens ___ and cannot be avoided.
4.The phrase "inexorable march" often means something ___ that keeps moving forward.
5.Leaders sometimes must make decisions with ___ consequences, that are inexorable.
6.The glacier's inexorable movement ___ everything in its way without pause or change.
7.When someone has an inexorable attitude, they ___ change their mind easily.