inevitable

/ɪnˈevɪtəbl/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈevɪtəbl/ (ame, ipa) · /i-ˈne-və-tə-bəl/ (ame, mw)

inevitable — adjective

  • inevitablepositive
  • more inevitablecomparative
  • most inevitablesuperlative

1. Something that is inevitable is sure to take place, and no action can stop it fr

1.形容詞B2
釋義

Something that is inevitable is sure to take place, and no action can stop it from happening.

例句

After the diagnosis, surgery seemed inevitable for the elderly woman.

seems inevitable / appeared inevitable

The bus driver knew that a crash was inevitable in the heavy fog.

同義詞
  • unavoidable

    the closest synonym; slightly more neutral and less formal than 'inevitable'

  • inescapable

    emphasises that something cannot be escaped from; often used for negative situations

  • certain

    broader meaning; does not carry the same sense of being unstoppable

反義詞
  • preventable

    something that can be stopped from happening

  • avoidable

    something you can choose to stay away from

文法句型

be + inevitable

it + be + inevitable + that-clause

inevitable + noun

用法筆記

Frequently used in the pattern 'it is inevitable that + clause'. Can also be used with the definite article as a noun phrase ('the inevitable') to refer to an unavoidable event or outcome.

常見錯誤

❌The rain was inevitable today because the sky was grey.
✅Rain was very likely today because the sky was grey.
💡'Inevitable' means something absolutely certain that cannot be prevented, not merely probable.
❌I made an inevitable mistake on the test.
✅I made a mistake that I could have avoided on the test.
💡Use 'inevitable' only for outcomes that truly cannot be prevented, not for common errors.

2. Describes something that happens so regularly that you always know it will happe

2.形容詞B2
釋義

Describes something that happens so regularly that you always know it will happen again, often as part of a routine or pattern.

例句

Traffic jams were as inevitable as the morning sun in the city centre.

as + inevitable + as + noun

At every village meeting, an argument about the new road was almost inevitable.

almost inevitable

同義詞
  • predictable

    focuses on being able to foresee something; less absolute than 'inevitable'

  • expected

    softer; simply means something happens as anticipated

  • routine

    describes something that is part of a normal, repeated pattern

反義詞
  • unexpected

    something that surprises you because it does not happen regularly

  • unpredictable

    something that changes in ways you cannot foresee

文法句型

as + inevitable + as + noun

almost inevitable

inevitable + noun

用法筆記

Often used in comparisons with 'as … as' (e.g., 'as inevitable as the sunrise'). Different from sense 1 in that it describes routine predictability rather than an outcome that cannot be prevented. The focus is on frequency and expectation, not unavoidability.

常見錯誤

❌The train delay is inevitable every Monday.
✅The train delay happens almost every Monday.
💡'Inevitable' is too strong for something that occurs often but could theoretically change; use 'predictable' or 'expected' instead.