interminable
adjectiveCEFR B2
What does “interminable” mean in English?
endless, without end — lasting far too long
endless, without end — lasting far too long (negociaciones interminables, proceso interminable)
Example sentences
El partido fue interminable: noventa minutos de juego más dos prórrogas sin marcar ningún gol.
The match was endless: ninety minutes of play plus two extra periods without scoring a single goal.
La cola interminable frente a la embajada desanimó a muchos solicitantes de visado.
The endless queue outside the embassy discouraged many visa applicants.
How to use it
Interminable means 'endless' — continuing for too long with no apparent end. It carries a negative evaluative charge and typically modifies processes, meetings, or situations: negociaciones interminables, discusión interminable, lista interminable. It is invariable in form (no gender agreement). Ser/estar: takes ser as a permanent characterisation or estar when describing a current state ('esta reunión está siendo interminable'). Key register: informal and formal registers both use it, but the negative connotation is universal.
Common mistake
English speakers sometimes use *infinito or *ilimitado when they mean interminable; those words describe quantity, not excessive duration. Also: interminable is not used for abstract philosophical infinity — use infinito for that.