irrecoverable

adjective

ˌir-i-ˈkə-v(ə-)rə-bəl How to pronounce irrecoverable (audio)
Definition of irrecoverablenext
1
as in hopeless
not capable of being cured or reformed unfortunately, he was destined to live out his days as an irrecoverable alcoholic

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in irreversible
not capable of being repaired, regained, or undone one computer file proved to be irrecoverable after the crash

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of irrecoverable Countless documents were left lying out in the open and quickly became irrecoverable. — Amer Matar, The Dial, 26 May 2026 At the same time, much of the world is facing water bankruptcy, meaning people and industries are using more fresh water than nature can replenish, leading to irrecoverable ecosystem damages. — Abraham Nunbogu, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026 An irrecoverable loss of the entirety of our personal data. — Shannon Bond, NPR, 11 Mar. 2026 Broadly speaking, this is probably not irrecoverable damage to the ecosystem. — Shaun McKinnon, AZCentral.com, 5 Jan. 2026 Crestfallen fans have begun demanding refunds for hundreds of dollars in ticket purchases to defray irrecoverable travel and lodging costs. — Jia H. Jung, Mercury News, 11 July 2025 Customs Duties are irrecoverable whereas VAT paid by a business can in principle be reclaimed, but not always. — Robert Marchant, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irrecoverable
  1. hopeless
  2. irreversible
  3. irretrievable
  4. irreparable
  5. unrecoverable
  6. incurable
Adjective
  • Johnston, who made his breakout performance as the toxically hopeless romantic Bear in Curry Barker’s Obsession, has most recently been in talks to join Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz in the upcoming fourth installment of The Mummy.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
  • For all the apocalyptic overtones in the film, Gibney doesn’t want audiences to come away feeling hopeless.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of hopeless
Adjective
  • Make nothing irreversible in the same meeting where the anger showed up.
    — Larry Bomback, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Other children are developing severe and irreversible neurological damage because of brain inflammation, or encephalitis, Shirey said.
    — Erika Edwards, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of irreversible
Adjective
  • The manufacturer of NarcX+ states that medications become irretrievable in less than two hours, and consuming any of the NarcX+ liquid will cause vomiting.
    — Sunny Linnebur, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2026
  • That probably makes the loss of faith among England fans irretrievable.
    — The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 16 July 2026
Definition of irretrievable
Adjective
  • The Justice Department ultimately argued that the outlets have not established irreparable harm and that the balance of equities and public interest favors the government.
    — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Amazon is calling for people to support AI data center projects, or risk irreparable harm to the US economy and national security.
    — Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of irreparable
Adjective
  • In March, Toku launched an AI agent that not only chases payments over WhatsApp, email, or voice, but can also arrange repayment plans—which the company says has reduced unrecoverable debts by up to half.
    — Harry Booth, Time, 30 Sep. 2026
  • If the answer involves customer harm, regulatory exposure or unrecoverable decisions, AI as autonomy is being requested at the wrong scope.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of unrecoverable
Adjective
  • After all there’s nothing very funny about an incurable disease that traps you inside your body.
    — Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The issue roiled French politics for years before lawmakers recently approved legislation allowing adults with incurable illnesses to receive lethal medication.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of incurable

Browse Nearby Words

irreconcilable
irrecoverable
irredeemable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Irrecoverable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irrecoverable. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Luddite

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All