implacable
About this episode
This episode discusses the word 'implacable', its meaning, usage, and etymology.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 13, 2026 is: implacable • \im-PLAK-uh-bul\ • adjective Someone or something described as implacable is not capable of being appeased or changed. // The project faced implacable resistance from community members, and is now off the table. See the entry > Examples: “Unlike, say, the globetrotting stories of Ian Fleming or John le Carré, in which victories only temporarily frustrate an implacable foe, [Agatha] Christie’s smaller worlds feel put right when the cover closes or credits roll.” — The Economist , 17 Jan. 2026 Did you know? Implacable is rooted in the Latin verb placare , meaning “to soothe,” but its im- prefix is a variant of the negating prefix in- (as in inactive ) and it signals that there’s nothing warm and fuzzy here. Someone or something described as implacable cannot be soothed, which usually means trouble: implacable is most often attached to words like foe , enemy , hatred and hostility . The opposite of implacable is, of course, placable ; it means “easily soothed,” but sadly isn’t called upon very often. Another placare word is likely more familiar. Placate means “to soothe or appease”; it’s…
Topics covered
- language
- vocabulary
- adjectives
- etymology
- literature
Keywords
- implacable
- adjective
- definition
- etymology
- language
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: The Economist
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