1
Impossible obstacle
A barrier beyond the ability or resources available to overcome it.
Example
The team refused to treat limited funding as an insurmountable obstacle.
insurmountable
/ˌɪnsəˈmaʊntəbəl/ · in-sur-MOWN-tuh-buhladjective
Too great or difficult to overcome.
Use insurmountable for an obstacle, difficulty, or barrier that cannot be successfully overcome with the available means.
What insurmountable Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Unsolvable difficulty
A problem so great that no workable solution appears possible.
Example
At first the engineering problem seemed insurmountable.
3
Overwhelming disadvantage
A limitation too severe to compensate for through ordinary effort.
Example
The early delay created an almost insurmountable disadvantage.
Use insurmountable Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
The team refused to treat limited funding as an insurmountable obstacle.
A new material transformed an apparently insurmountable problem into a manageable one.
The distance was difficult but not insurmountable with adequate supplies.
Precision Matters
Insurmountable overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
insurmountable
vs.Sets the extreme threshold of impossibility.
difficult
Requires substantial effort but can still be achieved.
insurmountable
vs.Cannot be overcome.
formidable
Is intimidating or very difficult but not necessarily impossible.
insurmountable
vs.Cannot be overcome in a general sense.
impenetrable
Cannot be entered, passed through, or understood.
insurmountable
vs.Is the common modern term for impossible to overcome.
insuperable
Means essentially the same thing but is less common and more formal.
Test insurmountable in Context
The expedition has no available means to overcome the barrier.
1
Without a bridge, boat, or safe crossing point, the flooded gorge presented an ___ barrier to the expedition's advance.