indefatigable
English
WOTD – 7 June 2009
Etymology
From Middle French, from Latin indēfatīgābilis (“untiring”), from in- (“not”) + dēfatīgō (“to tire out”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌɪndɪˈfætɪɡəbl/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˌɪndəˈfætəɡəbəl/
- (sometimes proscribed) IPA(key): /ˌɪndɪfəˈtiɡəbəl/
Audio (Northern California, US) (file) Audio (AU) (file)
Adjective
indefatigable (comparative more indefatigable, superlative most indefatigable)
- Extremely persistent and untiring.
- 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling. In Six Volumes, volume XVIII, London: Printed by A[ndrew] Millar, […], OCLC 928184292, book 4:
- […] but he was at the same time an excellent scholar, and most indefatigable in teaching the two lads.
- 1898, H. G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, Book 1, ch. 8:
- 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.
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Synonyms
Antonyms
- defatigable (much less common)
Derived terms
Translations
extremely persistent and untiring
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