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
Relevance
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
When the shoulder is unable to move through its full range, the mid and lower back extend to compensate for the loss of mobility; what eventually shows up as back pain actually started at the shoulder.
—
Dana Santas, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
Multiple children will need to have teeth removed and are unable to eat without pain, prosecutors said.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2026
They would be forced to live in the shadows and be unable to work legally, travel safely, and live up to their full potential as Americans get to do.
—Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026
Eventually, after the crisis ended, unable to determine whether her husband was alive or dead, Gail Fritz went to the parking lot.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unable
Dana Santas, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
Multiple children will need to have teeth removed and are unable to eat without pain, prosecutors said.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2026
They would be forced to live in the shadows and be unable to work legally, travel safely, and live up to their full potential as Americans get to do.
—Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026
Eventually, after the crisis ended, unable to determine whether her husband was alive or dead, Gail Fritz went to the parking lot.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unable
Adjective
-
One of the panelists was Peter Beinart, the writer whose book had been deemed unfit for study at Beth El.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
There’s a longstanding debate about the relative health effects of being overweight versus being aerobically unfit.—
Alex Hutchinson,
Outside,
25 Mar. 2026
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
Adjective
-
To this day, no court has found Newman is incompetent.—
Carrie Johnson,
NPR,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Court documents show Lloyd has been found incompetent to stand trial multiple times in Hennepin County for charges of stalking.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Both view the Lebanese government as still completely incapable of disarming Hezbollah, though both were shocked at the new assertiveness of Beirut as seen by Tuesday’s banishment of Iran’s ambassador.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Unfortunately, her plot confines these characters to another narrow set of roles, and most of them are portrayed as incapable of leaving their cage.—
Robert Rubsam,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unable. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
