incorrigible 1 of 2

adjective

(ˌ)in-ˈkȯr-ə-jə-bəl How to pronounce incorrigible (audio)
Definition of incorrigiblenext
as in hopeless
not capable of being cured or reformed an incorrigible criminal who should spend the rest of his life behind bars

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

incorrigible

2 of 2

noun

as in delinquent

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of incorrigible
Adjective
But Hossam said that despite these efforts, a lot of the opportunistic joiners are incorrigible troublemakers. — Mara R. Revkin, Foreign Affairs, 1 May 2016 Nilsson, an incorrigible Midwesterner, had a history of downplaying her depth. — Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026 From the moment the seventy-nine-year-old Cher walked onstage to both accept a lifetime-achievement award and to announce the winner of Record of the Year, the broadcast entered into a sort of incorrigible fugue state. — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2026 The rigidity and delusions of tyrannies are incorrigible; their purity spirals end in executions, not just cancellations; their adventures end in devastation and slaughter. — Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for incorrigible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incorrigible
  1. hopeless
  2. delinquent
  3. incurable
  4. bankrupt
Adjective
  • The 41-year-old Portuguese footballer managed to put two past a hopeless Uzbekistan, becoming the first player to score in six consecutive World Cups.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 29 June 2026
  • The conflict feels contemporary without growing too cynical, and the core relationship stakes seem real without skewing hopeless.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 19 June 2026
Definition of hopeless
Noun
  • These arrangements involve negotiating with creditors to accept less than the full balance owed, but the accounts are typically left delinquent during the negotiation period.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
  • But Miller did say the teen had recently started hanging out with the wrong crowd and became a teenage delinquent.
    — Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
Definition of delinquent
Adjective
  • In addition, patients with incurable or irreversible conditions no longer have to certify annually.
    — Emily McLeod, CBS News, 1 July 2026
  • She had been diagnosed in 2006 — at age 46 — with late-stage follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which has long been deemed incurable.
    — Molly Gibbs, Mercury News, 29 June 2026
Definition of incurable
Noun
  • The fight almost bankrupts the town of Shelby, Montana, which borrowed heavily to stage it. 1930 — Helen Wills Moody wins her fourth straight singles title at Wimbledon with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Elizabeth Ryan.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2025
  • The expectation is set early in the series, when an alderman who tries to swindle George bankrupts himself in the process, then kills himself in shame.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 24 June 2025
Definition of bankrupt

Browse Nearby Words

incorrectness
incorrigible
incorrigibles
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“Incorrigible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incorrigible. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on incorrigible

Nglish: Translation of incorrigible for Spanish Speakers

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