DictionaryRoot: in-
Latin

in-

not; without

Forms

  • in-
  • im- — Used before b, m, or p in Latin.
  • il- — Used before l in Latin.
  • ir- — Used before r in Latin.

Origin

Reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *n̥-, the unstressed negative form associated with *ne, ‘not.’

Note

Unrelated to the Latin in- meaning ‘in’ or ‘into,’ despite their matching forms.

194 / 253
Surrounded by evidence of many finished servings, a diner eagerly reaches for another substantial meal, visibly undeterred by how much he has already eaten.
adjective

insatiable

in-SAY-shuh-bul/ɪnˈseɪʃəbl/

Always wanting more and impossible to satisfy.

Etymology

Satiare means to fill something full or satisfy it, so insatiable describes what cannot reach that point. The image is of an appetite or desire for which nothing is ever enough.

Full entry

Related word entries