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 Going-to-the-Sun Road, which connects the eastern and western halves of the park, makes the area accessible for those unwilling or unable to explore the backcountry on foot. — Josh Laskin, Travel + Leisure, 3 July 2026 Errors of execution and discipline forced by the relentlessness of a French team stripped of many of its leading players meant New Zealand was unable to secure its win until the final minutes. — ABC News, 4 July 2026 After learning that her friend Shannon’s mother has died in a car accident, Elle is suddenly facing her first real encounter with grief and, unable to sit with it, throws herself into planning the memorial, down to selecting the music. — Angelina Mazza, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026 Upon reaching orbit, Katalyst’s Link satellite will spend several weeks approaching the Swift observatory, which is unable to counter atmospheric drag and is likely to reenter the atmosphere and burn up later this year. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for unable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unable
  1. unfit
  2. unfitted
  3. incompetent
  4. incapable
Adjective
  • If venue personnel deem any person to be a threat, or otherwise unfit, in their sole discretion, he or she will not be permitted access and shall forfeit the prize.
    — AJC.com, AJC.com, 30 June 2026
  • She was deemed unfit to stand trial on medical grounds.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 27 June 2026
Definition of unfit
Adjective
  • Mix Materials The beauty in the unfitted kitchen aesthetic is found in its collected look.
    — 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
  • Her Volumnia bellows at her meek daughter-in-law, Virgilia (Justine Faith) as though reprimanding an incompetent private.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • One of the lasting side effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and our catastrophically incompetent response to it is the decrease in trust in public health experts and their advice.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of incompetent
Adjective
  • Court documents show prosecutors accused Fontes of rape a victim incapable of giving consent because of the effect of alcohol, drugs, or other substances.
    — Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026
  • For most of his career, Huang has seemed constitutionally incapable of standing still.
    — Mariella Rudi, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 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 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on unable

Nglish: Translation of unable for Spanish Speakers

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