What does indelible mean?
Word: Indelible
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Indelible means impossible to remove or wash away. It can also mean impossible to forget.
Synonyms: unforgettable
How do you spell indelible?
Syllables: in - del - i - ble
Tricky part: The ending is the test. Pupils know the sound but not the vowel, and able is the commoner spelling, so they use it by habit. This word ends in ible.
Watch out for: indelable, indeleble
Memory tip: Indelible ink never washes off: let the i of ink mark the ending.
Indelible in a sentence
Example 1: The ink left an indelible stain on his white shirt.
Example 2: Her first sight of the Himalayas left indelible memories.
Example 3: The author left an indelible mark on children's writing in India.
Fun Fact
Voters in India have a mark of indelible ink put on a fingernail at elections, so that nobody can vote twice. The ink has been made in Mysuru for decades.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
One word in this sentence is misspelt. Find it:
Our art teacher warned us that the indilible paint in the cupboard would stain our uniforms for ever.
a) uniforms
b) indilible
c) warned
d) cupboard
Show answer
b) indilible. After the d comes the e of deliver.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence and choose the word they form:
The teacher labelled the chart with an eiinedllb pen so that rain could not wash it away.
a) incredible
b) invisible
c) indelible
d) inflexible
Show answer
c) indelible. Two l's but no f or x: that fixes the answer.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word indelible as used in the sentence:
The visit to the coral reefs of the Andamans left an indelible impression on the children.
a) enduring
b) fleeting
c) lasting
d) abiding
Show answer
b) fleeting. An impression gone within minutes would never stay with the children.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose the meaning:
1. memorible 2. indelible 3. persistant 4. permanant
a) not able to be rubbed out by any means
b) staying the same for all time
c) continuing firmly despite difficulties
d) easy to remember because it is special
Show answer
a) not able to be rubbed out by any means. Permanent and persistent finish in ent, and memorable has ab before the le.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What would the maker of an indelible marker promise?
a) The writing will wipe off easily.
b) The writing will survive washing.
c) The writing will fade in a day.
d) The writing will glow in the dark.
Show answer
b) The writing will survive washing.
2. A grandfather has indelible memories of his first school. What is true of them?
a) they come from old photographs
b) they stay sharp after many years
c) they fade slowly with each year
d) they are shared by all his friends
Show answer
b) they stay sharp after many years
