unreliable

adjective

un·​re·​li·​able ˌən-ri-ˈlī-ə-bəl How to pronounce unreliable (audio)
Synonyms of unreliablenext
: not reliable : undependable, untrustworthy
an unreliable friend
an unreliable source of funding
an unreliable car
unreliability noun
the unreliability of the data
a person with a reputation for unreliability
unreliably adverb
a method that works unreliably

Examples of unreliable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Look at Annapolis’ obsession with offshore wind projects — big, ugly, industrial efforts that enrage residents, threaten marine life and provide unreliable power while depending entirely on massive ratepayer subsidies. Justin Ready, Baltimore Sun, 15 Feb. 2026 Persistent droughts, explosive population growth, competing urban/industrial demands, and unreliable Rio Grande flows (despite recent 1944 Water Treaty progress) are draining reservoirs and threatening our $200B food & fiber economy. Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026 The generator is designed as an auxiliary or primary power source for satellites operating where solar energy is unreliable or insufficient. Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026 Picture him in concert with a bunch of late-middle-age white men (including his father and Vernon) in ski masks, toting guns; a dead body; an unreliable witness to the crime—I’ll stop here, though there’s more. Adelle Waldman, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unreliable

Word History

First Known Use

1810, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unreliable was in 1810

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Cite this Entry

“Unreliable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unreliable. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.

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