undownable

English

WOTD – 11 December 2009

Etymology

un- + downable

Pronunciation

  • (UK, US) IPA(key): /ʌnˈdaʊn.ə.bəl/

Adjective

undownable (not comparable)

  1. (rare) Undeniably important; which cannot be played down or ignored.
    • 1923, Interstate Cotton Seed Crushers' Association, Official Monthly Bulletin:
      If ever there was an example of sheer pluck and undownable determination it is right here []
    • 1930, Charles J. V. Murphy, Parachute:
      There is the undownable legend that []
    • 1998, Frank N. Riale, Sinless, Sickless, Deathless Life:
      [] the truth which came home with such undownable conviction []
  2. (rare, neologism) Invincible; which cannot be brought down or overcome.
    • 1998, Andrew Pavacic, “Why are our ASMs smaller than theirs?”, in sci.military.naval, Usenet:
      The SR-71 is claimed to be undownable by virtue of its altitude and speed.
    • 1998, Edmond Wollmann, “A Challenge to Lazzwaldo AKA anonym or whatever it is”, in sci.skeptic, Usenet:
      [] this paranoic attempt to discredit the credible, and down the undownable.
    • 1999, kinara, “Taiwan is NOT able to defeat any invasion”, in soc.culture.china, Usenet:
      I did not go as far as that either. I only went as far as stating that an American warplane is almost undownable and an American warship is unsinkable.

Translations

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