unpindownableadj.
/(ˌ)ʌnpɪnˈdaʊnəbl/, U.S. /ˌənˌpɪnˈdaʊnəb(ə)l/ That cannot be pinned down; impossible to define or characterize precisely.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > unintelligibility > inexpressibility > [adjective]
unsayinglyOE
wordlessa1200
unanemneda1225
unspeaking1340
untellablea1382
unenarrable1382
unspeakablea1400
ineffablec1450
inenarrablec1450
indicible1480
enarrable1482
inexplicable1502
inspeakable?1504
innominable1532
unoutspeakable1535
unexpressable1548
innarrable1554
inpronunciable1554
uncommunicable1555
inexprimablea1577
unexpressiblea1586
unutterablea1586
expressless1590
nameless1597
recountless1601
inutterable1603
indeclarable1610
unnameable1610
unreportable1611
speakless1612
unexpressivea1616
inexpressiblea1631
utterless1643
inexpressive1652
unwordablec1660
incommunicable1694
paintless1729
descriptionless1749
undelineable1767
describeless1799
indefinable1810
undescribable1818
unqualifiable1822
untelling1823
utterless1832
unpindownable1915
1915 Good Housek. Mag. Mar. 303/1 A considerable and increasing group of even such evanescent, subjective, and unpindownable things as My Lady's megrims.
1961 Times Lit. Suppl. 27 Jan. 58/3 Supervielle, that charming and un-pin-downable poet, part bird and part magician.
1985 Radio Times 6 July 14/3 I wanted to write about a child prodigy, and about unpindownable genius.
2004 M. Currie Difference iii. 60 Presence, meaning and concepthood are not only linked, but are all equally unpindownable.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2014; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adj.1915