unbearableun‧bear‧a‧ble /ʌnˈbeərəbəl $ -ˈber-/ adjective 
The pain was almost unbearable. He was making life unbearable for his parents.—unbearably adverb: an unbearably hot day
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- The smell in the streets was almost unbearable.
- The stench from the sink was almost unbearable.
- The strain eventually became unbearable, and Adam started seeing a psychiatrist.
- Without him, my life would be unbearable.
- Area residents had complained the feeding site was creating unbearable nuisances in their neighborhood, and the judge agreed.
- At first the hot, bright light was unbearable.
- But the kindergarten in Ofra had no roof, and the mud and cold that first winter were unbearable.
- Campaigners say the men were victims of the unbearable strain of conflict in appalling conditions.
- Cigarette smoke can smell pretty filthy, even to a smoker, while non-smokers often find it unbearable.
- Every muscle in his body was knotted with unbearable tension.
- The stench from the latrine and people who had not bathed in a long time was unbearable.
Longman Language Activatorwhen a situation is so bad that you cannot stand it
also can't bear especially British to be unable to accept an unpleasant situation: · Europeans never stay there for long. They can't stand the heat.· I can't bear the smell of stale cigarette smoke in her hair.can't stand/bear the thought of something: · She couldn't stand the thought of losing her children.can't stand/bear to do something/can't stand/bear doing something: · I couldn't bear to listen to her screams.
especially spoken to be unable to accept an unpleasant situation without becoming angry or upset, especially when someone's behaviour is not fair or reasonable: · Careful what you say - he can't take criticism.· She just keeps crying and throwing tantrums - I can't handle much more of it.can't take/handle something any more: · I just couldn't take it any more. I left the next day.
to be unable to stand something because thinking about it makes you feel sick or angry: · He really can't stomach the sight of blood.
formal to be completely unable to stand someone or something that is very annoying: · If there's one thing I cannot abide, it's spoilt children.· Mary couldn't abide shopping on Saturdays because the stores were always so crowded.
something that is unbearable , such as a pain or a bad situation, is too bad for you to deal with or live with: · Without him, my life would be unbearable.· The stench from the sink was almost unbearable.· The strain eventually became unbearable, and Adam started seeing a psychiatrist.
too difficult, unpleasant, or annoying to stand: · Living conditions at the camp were intolerable.· Passengers faced intolerable delays and disruption due to the bad weather conditions.· All the media attention during the trial had put the family under intolerable strain.
something that is unacceptable is wrong and cannot be accepted or allowed to continue: · Most women said they thought the ruling was unfair and unacceptable.· The plan was rejected because it involved an "unacceptable risk to public safety'.· We regard the idea of being able to choose the sex of your baby as wholly unacceptable.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY The pain was almost unbearable.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
The pain was almost unbearable.· The tension was almost unbearable by the time we reached the decisive last round.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· At this distance, the heat from the rapidly spreading flames was almost unbearable.· At times the yoke of his vocation was almost unbearable, although there is no indication that he ever regretted assuming it.· Such a position is, psychologically and emotionally speaking, almost unbearable.· If you normally insist upon and achieve high personal standards of performance the idea of not obtaining this can be almost unbearable.· The stench from the sink is almost unbearable, the sour odour of vomit, half-digested food and beer.· The strain on his right arm was almost unbearable.· The pain in his ribs, three of which had been crushed in a recent collision, was almost unbearable.
NOUN· It spreads unmerited prosperity on some and unbearable pain on others.· If the spray hits the eyes there is almost unbearable pain and temporary blindness.
WORD FAMILYnounbeareradjectivebearable ≠ unbearableverbbearadverbbearably ≠ unbearably
too unpleasant, painful, or annoying to deal with SYN intolerable: The pain was almost unbearable. He was making life unbearable for his parents.—unbearably adverb: an unbearably hot day