incurable

/ɪnˈkjʊərəbl/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈkjʊrəbl/ (ame, ipa) · /(ˌ)in-ˈkyu̇r-ə-bəl/ (ame, mw)

incurable — 形容詞

  • incurablepositive
  • more incurablecomparative
  • most incurablesuperlative

1. describes a serious illness or medical problem that cannot be healed or made to

1.形容詞B2
釋義

無法治癒的

疾病無法醫治好

describes a serious illness or medical problem that cannot be healed or made to go away, even with the best treatment available — the person will live with it for the rest of their life.

例句

Dr. Okonkwo told the family that the patient's lung disease is incurable, but treatment can still improve her quality of life.

Okonkwo 醫生告訴家屬，病人的肺部疾病是無法治癒的，但治療仍然可以改善她的生活品質。

incurable + disease; be + incurable with palliative contrast

When the biopsy results came back, Mei-Lin learned that her condition was incurable and began planning how to spend her remaining time.

當化驗結果出來時，Mei-Lin 得知自己的病情已無法治癒，於是開始規劃如何度過餘下的時光。

condition + be + incurable, used in a personal narrative

同義詞
  • terminal

    stronger and narrower — suggests the disease will cause death soon, while 'incurable' simply means no cure exists

  • untreatable

    slightly different — 'untreatable' means no effective therapy exists, while 'incurable' means the condition cannot be fully eliminated even if treatment helps

  • fatal

    emphasises that the disease will lead to death, which is not always true of an 'incurable' condition

反義詞
  • curable

    direct opposite — a condition that can be healed with treatment

  • treatable

    not a true antonym but commonly contrasted — 'treatable' conditions can be managed even if not cured

  • reversible

    describes a condition that can be undone, opposite of permanent damage

文法句型

incurable + [noun denoting a disease]

be + incurable

用法筆記

Commonly used with nouns such as disease, cancer, illness, condition, or infection. In medical contexts, incurable does not necessarily mean untreatable — many incurable conditions can be managed with ongoing care.

常見錯誤

❌My headache is incurable.
✅My headache won't go away.
💡'incurable' is too strong for temporary common ailments; it should only be used for serious, permanent conditions.

2. refers to a personal quality, habit, or character trait that is so deeply fixed

2.形容詞C1
釋義

無可救藥的

性格或習慣無法改變

refers to a personal quality, habit, or character trait that is so deeply fixed that it will never change — often said with affectionate or playful resignation about someone's nature.

例句

Auntie Luisa is an incurable optimist who sees the bright side of every situation, even when things go badly wrong.

Luisa 阿姨是個無可救藥的樂觀主義者，即使在事情嚴重出錯的時候，她也能看到好的一面。

incurable + [person noun] — describes a fixed personality type

Kenji is an incurable romantic who still sends handwritten love letters to his wife every month.

Kenji 是個無可救藥的浪漫主義者，每個月仍會寫手寫情書給妻子。

同義詞
  • hopeless

    more common in everyday speech; 'incurable' sounds more literary or dramatic

  • inveterate

    formal synonym that pairs with the same nouns (inveterate gambler, inveterate liar), but is less common

  • incorrigible

    emphasises that the person cannot be corrected or reformed, often with a tone of disapproval

反義詞
  • reformable

    describes someone whose habits or character could change

  • flexible

    describes a personality that can adapt or change

文法句型

incurable + [noun denoting a person] (an incurable romantic)

incurable + [noun denoting a trait] (incurable optimism)

用法筆記

When applied to a person (an incurable romantic / optimist / pessimist / gossip), the tone is usually light-hearted or gently critical rather than medically serious. The word shifts from a clinical register to a playful or literary one in this sense.

常見錯誤

❌He is incurable at cooking.
✅He is a hopeless cook.
💡'incurable' is not used with skills or abilities; it describes deep personality traits or habits, not lack of ability.