Intollerabile

Intollerabile is an Italian adjective that means intolerable or unacceptable, referring to conditions, behavior, or situations that someone cannot bear or tolerate. It is commonly used to express strong judgment about something perceived as beyond endurance.

The term derives from the Latin tolerabilis, meaning bearable, with the negating prefix in- forming intollerabile. In modern Italian it can modify nouns or be used predicatively with essere, as in una condizione intollerabile or È intollerabile.

Intollerabile conveys a sense of threshold or moral seriousness that may be stronger than related terms. It is often used in formal or emphatic contexts, such as political or social commentary, but also appears in everyday language when someone wants to emphasize that a grievance or behavior cannot be accepted. Related terms include insopportabile (unbearable and often more focused on discomfort) and inaccettabile (unacceptable in a broader, sometimes normative sense).

Usage examples include: La discriminazione sul posto di lavoro è intollerabile. Le condizioni di lavoro sono intollerabili e vanno cambiate subito. È intollerabile che si tollerino tali ingiustizie. These examples illustrate its role in denunciation or demand for change.

See also: intolleranza (intolerance), tolleranza (tolerance), insopportabile, inaccettabile.