indestructible

IPA/ˌɪndɪˈstrʌktəbl/
KK[ˌɪndəstrˈʌktɪbəl]IPA/ˌɪndɪˈstrʌktəbl/

indestructible — adjective

  • indestructiblepositive
  • more indestructiblecomparative
  • most indestructiblesuperlative

1. so strong or well-made that it cannot be broken, damaged, or destroyed, no matte

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

so strong or well-made that it cannot be broken, damaged, or destroyed, no matter how much force or pressure is used

Example

Brandon bought an indestructible phone case that survived a fall from his apartment window.

attributive use: indestructible + noun

The old castle walls seemed indestructible, having stood for over eight hundred years.

predicative: seem + indestructible

Common collocations
  • virtually indestructible
  • nearly indestructible
  • seemingly indestructible
  • indestructible material
  • indestructible bond
  • indestructible spirit
Synonyms
  • unbreakable

    more common in everyday speech; suggests something will not break under normal use rather than being truly impossible to destroy

  • durable

    less extreme — means something lasts a long time with normal wear, not that it cannot be destroyed

  • sturdy

    strongly built and unlikely to break, but still possible with enough force

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

indestructible + noun

be/seem/feel/look + indestructible

Usage Note

Often used in advertising or product descriptions to emphasize strength, though very few things are truly indestructible. In everyday conversation, speakers more often use 'unbreakable' for physical objects and 'unshakeable' for abstract ideas.

Common Mistakes

This phone case is very indestructible.
This phone case is indestructible.
'Indestructible' is an absolute adjective; it should not be modified by 'very' or 'more' because something either cannot be destroyed or it can.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe things that resist damage, but they differ in degree and context. 'Indestructible' is the strongest — it suggests something simply cannot be destroyed under any circumstances, which is why it is often used in advertising or exaggerated claims. 'Unbreakable' is the closest synonym but is more common in everyday conversation and usually refers to physical objects that will not break during normal use (e.g. unbreakable plates). 'Durable' is weaker; it describes something that lasts a long time with regular use but can eventually wear out (durable shoes, durable fabric). 'Sturdy' focuses on being built strongly and solidly, often for a specific purpose (a sturdy table, a sturdy pair of boots). 'Tough' is more informal and can describe both a physical object that resists damage and a person who can endure hardship. For example: you might say a plastic water bottle is indestructible (exaggerated claim) but tough (realistic description).

unbreakable ↗durable ↗sturdy ↗tough ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • built to last forever

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'indestructibilis', formed from 'in-' (not) + 'destructibilis' (that can be destroyed), which comes from 'destruere' (to pull down, destroy). The word entered English in the early 1600s via French 'indestructible'.

First known use

1667

1667, in the meaning defined above