Insufferable vs. unbearable: what’s the difference?
The short answer
Insufferable often describes something annoying, overbearing, or arrogant, and is sometimes used with a more social or emotional connotation. Unbearable typically refers to something that causes physical or emotional pain or discomfort that is too intense to endure.
What they have in common
Both insufferable and unbearable describe something intolerable or extremely difficult to endure.
Examples
insufferable
- His insufferable arrogance drove everyone away.
- The heat in the room was insufferable.
- She found his smug attitude insufferable.
unbearable
- The pain of the injury was unbearable.
- The summer heat was unbearable without air conditioning.
- The loss was too unbearable for her to talk about.
Which one is more common?
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