untranslatable

adjective

un·​trans·​lat·​able ˌən-tran(t)s-ˈlā-tə-bəl How to pronounce untranslatable (audio)
-tranz-
: unable to be translated : not translatable
an untranslatable phrase
a word untranslatable from German
Those reflective undercurrents would seem to be untranslatable to the screen.—Mel Gussow
untranslatability
ˌən-(ˌ)tran(t)s-ˌlā-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce untranslatable (audio)
-(ˌ)tranz-
noun
… a revealing exposition of the untranslatability of a joke about weasels and tractors. —Brian Logan
untranslatably
ˌən-tran(t)s-ˈlā-tə-blē How to pronounce untranslatable (audio)
-tranz-
adverb

Examples of untranslatable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
How to write about the splash of untranslatable white paint and make of it a story with a clear beginning, middle and end? — Literary Hub, 25 July 2025 Some days, we are caught in the misfires of untranslatable feelings or memories. — Nic Rodríguez Villafañe, refinery29.com, 13 July 2023 Their grief and their rage are nearly untranslatable, as though feelings in extremity can only be physical sensations—the language assails one with a blind and blunt force. — Yiyun Li, The New Yorker, 23 Mar. 2025 This is the season when hygge (an untranslatable word that refers to coziness or warmth) kicks into high gear in Denmark, and its capital is filled with the soft yellow glow of candles. — Tamara Shopsin, Travel + Leisure, 16 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for untranslatable

Word History

First Known Use

1655, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of untranslatable was in 1655

Rhymes for untranslatable

See All Rhymes for untranslatable

Browse Nearby Words

untranslatability
untranslatable
untranslated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Untranslatable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/untranslatable. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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