Word
Of
The
Day
indomitable
indomitable \in-DAH-muh-tuh-bul\
adjective
Indomitable is a formal word used to describe something that is impossible to defeat or discourage.
// Juneteenth celebrates the abolition of slavery in the United States, and honors the
indomitable spirit of African Americans past and present fighting for justice, liberation, and the fulfillment of this nation’s ideals.
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Examples:
“During his legendary NBA career,
Michael Jordan was renowned not only for his athleticism and skill but also for his
indomitable will to win.” –
Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026
Did you know?
At five punchy syllables,
indomitable is an imposing word, so it’s inevitable that some are perplexed by this synonym for
impregnable. But it’s not so tough once you break it into parts. The prefix
in- (spelled
im- before
b,
m, and
p) means “not” in an innumerable collection of English words. (How many have you counted so far?) The common suffix
-able means “capable of, fit for, or worthy of.” Combine those two English
affixes with the Latin verb
domitare (“to tame”), and voila:
indomitable.
Indomitable was first used in English as a synonym of
wild, describing—appropriately enough—things that cannot be tamed, but over time the wildness associated with
indomitable developed into a specific kind of invulnerable strength.