inaudible

adjective

in·​au·​di·​ble (ˌ)i-ˈnȯ-də-bəl 

: not audible

inaudible comments

inaudibility

(ˌ)i-ˌnȯ-də-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

inaudibly

(ˌ)i-ˈnȯ-də-blē 

adverb

Did you know?

With its negative prefix in-, inaudible means the opposite of audible. What's clearly audible to you may be inaudible to your elderly grandfather. Modern spy technology can turn inaudible conversations into audible ones with the use of high-powered directional microphones, so if you think you're being spied on, make sure there's a lot of other noise around you. And if you don't want everyone around you to know you're bored, keep your sighs inaudible.

Examples of inaudible in a Sentence

She spoke so quietly that she was almost inaudible.

The sound is inaudible to humans but can be heard by dogs.

Recent Examples on the Web

Her inaudible grunt gives way to another coughing fit. —Bailey Richards, People.com, 30 Jan. 2025

Earlier this month, on Jan. 20, Cyrus’ Liberty Ball appearance was plagued with technical issues, leaving his guitar inaudible and forcing him to haphazard a cappella performance. —Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 24 Jan. 2025

The video of the meeting shows Muhammad saying a few more inaudible words to a disabled microphone. —Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2025

Protests erupted during the hearing, starting with a woman in military camo whose words were inaudible amid the commotion. —Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin inaudibilis, from Latin in- + Late Latin audibilis audible

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

inaudible

adjective

in·​au·​di·​ble (ˈ)in-ˈȯd-ə-bəl 

: impossible to hear : not audible

inaudibility

(ˌ)in-ˌȯd-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

inaudibly

(ˈ)in-ˈȯd-ə-blē 

adverb