unable

adjective

ˌən-ˈā-bəl How to pronounce unable (audio)
Definition of unablenext
as in unfit
lacking qualities (as knowledge, skill, or ability) required to do a job a celebrated author of serious plays, he turned out to be a particularly unable writer of comedies

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unable With Adebayo unable to play for most of the game, the Hornets and Ball ended up defeating the Heat 127-126 in overtime to end Miami’s season. — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026 The case ended in a mistrial last month after the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict. — Abc News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026 The witness also was unable to estimate the cost of the damage and did not know whether Hearn had caused it. — Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026 Officers checked the surrounding neighborhood but were unable to find the mysterious and somewhat creepy character. — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unable
  1. unfit
  2. unfitted
  3. incompetent
  4. incapable
Adjective
  • That’ll be particularly important after Paxton defeated Cornyn in a brutal primary where Senate Republicans and other Cornyn allies spent more than $90 million in his defense and attacked Paxton as unfit for office.
    — Matthew Choi, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Separately, the Independent Football Regulator has the powers to force club owners to sell and can withhold a license to operate if they are deemed unfit.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of unfit
Adjective
  • Here, Rodel shares how to make the unfitted kitchen trend your own, one statement-worthy piece at a time.
    — Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 May 2025
  • The venerable American clan at the center of the narrator’s reminiscences are wholly unfitted to the modern world and no longer endowed with the fortune that one of them brought home long ago on clipper ships.
    — Daniel Akst, WSJ, 2 Sep. 2022
Definition of unfitted
Adjective
  • In August 2022, Garza was ruled mentally incompetent to stand trial and ordered to be jailed until a bed in a state mental health treatment facility was available.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • In my opinion, the president and his incompetent, corrupt acolytes have debased the office and dragged the good name of America through the mud.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of incompetent
Adjective
  • Colman is incapable of playing any character with just one note, and here delivers another three-dimensional performance of a woman determined to change her life and find her happy place in it.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026
  • As Starlink's speed limits were lowered, Ukraine became incapable of shooting down some Russian drones.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of incapable

Browse Nearby Words

unabatedly
unable
unabridged
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unable. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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