insoluble

/ɪnˈsɑljubəl/

/ɪnˈsɔljubəl/

Other forms: insolubly

Let a bottle of salad dressing stand on the table for a few hours and you will notice that it has separated into layers. That's because oil is insoluble or is not capable of being dissolved.

Insoluble comes from the Latin insolubilis meaning "that cannot be loosened." When a substance is insoluble, it cannot be dissolved or loosened in water. Similarly, a situation that is insoluble has no hope of being solved. When a marriage is beyond repair and cannot be fixed, it is insoluble.

Definitions of insoluble

1. adjective

   (of a substance) incapable of being dissolved
   synonyms: indissoluble

   non-water-soluble, water-insoluble

   not soluble in water

   antonyms:

   soluble

   (of a substance) capable of being dissolved in some solvent (usually water)

   alcohol-soluble

   soluble in alcohol

   dissoluble, dissolvable

   capable of dissolving

   fat-soluble

   soluble in fats

   disintegrable, meltable

   capable of melting

   oil-soluble

   soluble in oil

   water-soluble

   soluble in water
2. adjective

   admitting of no solution or explanation
   “an insoluble doubt”

   synonyms:

   incomprehensible, inexplicable

   incapable of being explained or accounted for

   insolvable, unresolvable, unsoluble, unsolvable

   not easily solved

   antonyms:

   soluble

   susceptible of solution or of being solved or explained

   explicable

   capable of being explicated or accounted for

   answerable

   capable of being answered

   resolvable, solvable

   capable of being solved
3. adjective

   without hope of solution
   “an insoluble problem”

   synonyms:

   hopeless

   without hope because there seems to be no possibility of comfort or success