Incurable means impossible to cure or fix completely. When doctors call a disease incurable, they mean no medicine or treatment can make it go away entirely, though treatments might help someone feel better or slow the disease down. An incurable illness like diabetes stays with someone for life, requiring ongoing care and management rather than a one-time cure.

Something incurable can't be restored to perfect health or its original condition.

You can also use incurable to describe personality traits or habits that someone will never change. An incurable optimist always sees the bright side, no matter what happens. When people call themselves incurably curious, they mean their desire to learn and explore will never go away, and they wouldn't want it to.

While incurable diseases can be frightening, many people with incurable conditions live full, meaningful lives, especially with good support and care.