Implacable

Saturday, November 8, 2025
Word of the Day

What is Implacable?

adjective
Unable to be appeased or placated; relentless.

Pronunciation

US pronunciation: /ɪmˈplæk.ə.bəl/
UK pronunciation: /ɪmˈplæk.ə.bəl/
Slow pronunciation: im-PLAK-uh-bul

Meaning Explained

Implacable describes forces or foes that will not soften — steady, unsparing, and often moralized.

Why This Word?

Chosen to name the chill of unyielding resolve or fate.

Examples of Use

Here's how this word appears in everyday language:

  • She became an implacable critic of corruption.
  • The glacier moved with implacable patience.
  • An implacable schedule left no room for delay.

Word Origins

Latin implacabilis “not to be appeased,” from placare “to calm”

Often paired with “enemy,” “logic,” or “advance.”

First appearance in English: late Middle English

Word Family

Related forms of this word:

  • Verb: placate

    They tried to placate the crowd.

  • Adjective: relentless

    Relentless rain battered the coast.

  • Adjective: unyielding

    Her unyielding stance never wavered.

Around the World

How this word appears in other languages:

  • Spanish: implacable
  • French: implacable
  • German: unerbittlich
  • Italian: implacabile
  • Portuguese: implacável

If you Already Know This Word

If you've mastered this word, try these more advanced alternatives:

Inexorable

Unstoppable advance; implacable resists appeasement.

Relentless

Near-synonym; implacable adds refusal to be soothed.

Unappeasable

Plain description; implacable is elevated and literary.

Fun Facts

  • “Placate,” “placid,” and “please” share the calming root *plac-*.
  • Writers contrast implacable will with conciliatory compromise.

Cultural Usage

  • Tragedies pit heroes against implacable destiny.
  • Chroniclers describe implacable sieges and blockades.

Common Mistakes

Not the same as “implausible”; different roots and meanings.

Micro Story

Despite petitions, the river's implacable rise continued.