Indefatigable

Indefatigable Indefatigable Indefatigable By Maeve Maddox A reader asks about the words fatigable, defatigable, and indefatigable: Indefatigable apparently is of the same/identical meaning [as defatigable]. Then why is the in used as a prefix of defatigable, when in is generally used to invert the meaning, as in incorrigible (antonym of corrigible)? The reader says that he understands fatigable to refer to a person â€Å"who can be fatigued† and defatigable to a person â€Å"who can be treated for exhaustion.† The reader has misunderstood the meaning of de- in indefatigable. Note: The pronunciation of indefatigable is IN-duh-FAT-i-guh-buhl. Fatigable and defatigable mean the same thing. They have Latin equivalents: fatigare verb: to weary, tire, fatigue. fatigatio noun: weariness, fatigue. defatigare verb: to weary, fatigue, tire. defatigatio noun: exhaustion, weariness, fatigue. The Latin prefix de- is used with more than one meaning. One of these meanings, in both Latin and in English, is this: de- (prefix): down to the bottom, completely, thoroughly. Both fatigable and defatigable connote weariness, but the weariness expressed by defatigable is total exhaustion. Latin also has source words for the form indefatigable: indefatigabilis adjective: untiring indefatigatus adjective: not tired A Google search produces about 22,000 results for defatigable, 114,000 for fatigable, and 708,000 for indefatigable. The Ngram Viewer shows a marked decline in the use of indefatigable in recent decades. Here are recent examples of the use of indefatigable on the Web: Indefatigable drive and charisma have made Maura Healey the states attorney general and the  one to watch in Massachusetts politics.   To some, millennials- those urban-dwelling, ride-sharing indefatigable social networkers- are engaged, upbeat and open to change. To others, they are narcissistic, lazy and self-centered. The marigolds are  indefatigable. The geraniums are lush and valiant.   The  indefatigable  Vermont Sen. Bernie  Sanders, of course, led the pack. Indefatigable is the opposite of defatigable and means, â€Å"incapable of being fatigued.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:The Yiddish Handbook: 40 Words You Should Know20 Pairs of One-Word and Two-Word FormsInspiring vs. Inspirational