irreclaimable
/,iri'kleiməbl/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Incapable of being reclaimed or reformed: Describes a person, quality, or situation that is so morally corrupt, depraved, or set in its ways that it cannot be corrected, improved, or restored to a better state.
- Hopelessly lost or irredeemable: Suggests a condition beyond recovery or salvation.
Usage and Examples
- Adjective:
- The judge declared the repeat offender to be irreclaimable and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
- Some land, poisoned by industrial waste, is considered irreclaimable for agriculture.
- Her irreclaimable pessimism made it difficult for her to see any positive outcomes.
Advanced Usage and Nuances
- The term often carries a strong, final judgment, implying that all efforts at reform or restoration have failed or are deemed futile.
- It can be applied metaphorically to abstract concepts like time, opportunities, or past states that are forever lost.
- The era of simple living is irreclaimable in our modern, connected world.
Variants and Related Words
- Irredeemable (adj): Very similar in meaning, emphasizing that something cannot be saved, corrected, or made good. Often used interchangeably with "irreclaimable" in moral contexts.
- an irredeemable villain
- Unreformable (adj): Specifically emphasizes an inability to be reformed or changed for the better.
- an unreformable habit
Synonyms
- Incorrigible: (of a person or their tendencies) not able to be corrected, improved, or reformed.
- Hopeless: Having no expectation of good or success; incurable.
- Irremediable: Impossible to cure, repair, or correct.
Antonyms
- Reclaimable: Capable of being reclaimed or reformed.
- Redeemable: Capable of being saved, corrected, or improved.
- Corrigible: Capable of being corrected, rectified, or reformed.
Adjective
- insusceptible of reform
- vicious irreclaimable boys
- irredeemable sinners