insurmountable
insurmountable — adjective
1. describing a problem, challenge, or obstacle that is too large or difficult for
describing a problem, challenge, or obstacle that is too large or difficult for anyone to solve or overcome.
The team faced an insurmountable lead of fifty points in the final quarter.
collocation: insurmountable lead
For young engineer Élise, the language barrier felt insurmountable until she found a good tutor.
pattern: feel / seem + insurmountable
Min believed that no challenge was truly insurmountable if you prepared well enough.
The mountain rescue team faced insurmountable weather conditions and had to turn back.
Vivek's debt had grown to an insurmountable level, forcing him to sell his house.
- insuperable
more formal and literary; identical in meaning but far less common
- unconquerable
more emotional and poetic; often used of personal fears or inner struggles
- overwhelming
less absolute; suggests great difficulty that might still be managed with effort
- surmountable
the direct opposite; describes a difficulty that can be overcome
- manageable
practical opposite; suggests the difficulty is within one's ability to handle
- solvable
used specifically for problems or puzzles
文法句型
insurmountable + noun
be + insurmountable
seem / appear / feel + insurmountable
用法筆記
Subject is usually an abstract noun such as problem, difficulty, obstacle, barrier, challenge, lead, or debt. Rarely used with concrete objects or people. More common in formal writing than in everyday conversation.