untreatable

5 synonyms and 3 antonyms for untreatable, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Adjective — Of an illness, injury or condition: not able to be helped or cured by any available medical treatment.

Synonyms

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

incurable inoperable irremediable unmanageable intractable

Synonyms by Meaning

1. adjective

Of an illness, injury or condition: not able to be helped or cured by any available medical treatment.

“At the time the infection was effectively untreatable.”

incurable inoperable irremediable

Opposites

treatable curable operable

2. adjective

More generally: of a problem or material, not able to be dealt with or processed by the usual methods.

“Some contaminated soil is simply untreatable and has to be removed.”

unmanageable intractable

Opposites

treatable

How to use untreatable

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

effectively untreatable untreatable condition previously untreatable untreatable infection

Largely medical, and it carries weight — in everyday speech people more often say a condition "can't be treated."

Etymology

Formed in English from the prefix "un-" (not) plus "treatable," from the verb "treat." "Treat" entered English in the thirteenth century from Old French "traitier," from Latin "tractare," meaning to handle or manage.

Full origin of untreatable →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between untreatable and incurable?

They are close but not identical. "Incurable" means the condition cannot be permanently cured, though symptoms may still be eased or controlled. "Untreatable" is stronger: it means there is no effective treatment available at all, not even one that manages the symptoms. Many incurable conditions are very treatable.

Does untreatable mean terminal?

No. "Terminal" means a condition is expected to end in death, usually within a foreseeable period. "Untreatable" only says that no effective treatment exists — which may describe a condition that is uncomfortable or limiting but not life-threatening.

What is the opposite of untreatable?

The direct opposite is "treatable," meaning a condition that responds to available medical care. "Curable" is stronger still: it means the condition can be removed entirely, not merely managed.

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unmanageable incurable inoperable curable treatable irremediable operable intractable

Nearby words

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