English vocabulary · C1
Imponderable
/ɪmˈpɑːn.dɚ.ə.bəl/ · adj., n.
Something imponderable is too hard to measure before it happens. It can change the result in ways no one can plan.
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Example sentences
- Weather is imponderable.
- Imponderable delays raised costs.
Word origin and roots
from Latin
- im — not (from Latin)
- ponder — weigh (from Latin)
Synonyms and nuances
- UNKNOWN — not known (Not Yet Known)
- UNCERTAIN — not known for sure (No Sure Answer)
- ELUSIVE — hard to understand (Hard To Grasp)
Words with the same root
ponder — weigh
- ponder — think with care
- ponderous — heavy and slow
- preponderance — a greater amount
Lesson notes
Something imponderable is too hard to measure before it happens. It can change the result in ways no one can plan.
Related: unknown, uncertain, elusive. Use imponderable when no one can plan the result.
Weather is imponderable. Imponderable delays raised costs.
From Latin. Im- means not. Ponder- means weigh. No way to weigh or know: that is imponderable.