adjective

inexorable

in-EK-ser-uh-bul/ɪnˈeksərəbl/

Impossible to stop or persuade to change.

The lava's inexorable advance engulfs the road and its powerless steel guardrail.

A massive advancing lava flow overtakes a road and engulfs its steel guardrail, making the barrier visibly powerless against its progress.

Etymology

inLatinnot

+exLatinout

+orLatinpray to, beseech

+ableLatincapable of being

Pleading lies at the heart of this word: its Latin formation meant that someone could not be moved by entreaty. That refusal to yield also describes forces or events that cannot be stopped.

In context

Libranima181:52

every evil thought is inexorable, and insists on becoming a deed

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame - Hugo (Illustrated Audiobook) Part 2 of 2

More examples

The judge remains inexorable despite their pleas for mercy.
They struggle against the inexorable rise in housing costs.
We cannot escape the inexorable passage of time.

Forms

inexorable

inexorably adverb — In a way that cannot be stopped.

Similar words

unstoppable: Emphasizes that a force or process cannot be halted.
unyielding: Emphasizes refusal to compromise or give in to pressure.
relentless: Emphasizes continuing pressure or effort without pause or relief.