indefatigable
See also: Indefatigable
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]From Middle French, from Latin indēfatīgābilis (“untiring”), from in- (“not”) + dēfatīgō (“to tire out”).
Pronunciation
[edit]- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌɪn.dɪˈfæt.ɪ.ɡə.bəl/
- (General American, General Australian) IPA(key): /ˌɪn.dəˈfæt.ɪ.ɡə.bəl/, [ˌɪn.dəˈfæɾ.ɪ.ɡə.bəl]
Audio (General Australian): (file)
- (sometimes proscribed) IPA(key): /ˌɪn.dɪ.fəˈti.ɡə.bəl/, /ˌɪn.də-/
Audio (Northern California): (file)
- Hyphenation: in‧de‧fa‧tig‧a‧ble
Adjective
[edit]indefatigable (comparative more indefatigable, superlative most indefatigable)
- Extremely persistent and untiring.
- Synonyms: inexhaustible, relentless, tireless, unflagging, unsinkable, untiring, unwearying
- Antonym: (much less common) defatigable
- 1749, Henry Fielding, “Containing Two Letters in Very Different Stiles”, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume VI, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book XVIII, page 196:
- [...] But he was at the ſame Time an excellent Scholar, and moſt indefatigable in teaching the two Lads.
- 1816 June – 1817 April/May (date written), [Mary Shelley], chapter I, in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. […], volume I, London: […] [Macdonald and Son] for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, published 1 January 1818, →OCLC, page 39:
- He was respected by all who knew him for his integrity and indefatigable attention to public business.
- 1895–1897, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, “Friday Night”, in The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann, published 1898, →OCLC, book I (The Coming of the Martians), pages 54–55:
- All night long the Martians were hammering and stirring, sleepless, indefatigable, at work upon the machines they were making ready, and ever and again a puff of greenish-white smoke whirled up to the starlit sky.
Derived terms
[edit]Translations
[edit]extremely persistent and untiring
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