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
But the jury at the second trial was unable to reach a verdict on the count of rape against Mann, leading to the third trial, which concluded Friday.
—
Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
Those customers have complained online about being unable to use AcuRite Now to rename multiple temperature sensors, difficulties uploading data to weather sites, and the app only reporting temperatures in whole numbers.
—Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
Hamas did not immediately respond to a request for comment and CNN is unable to independently confirm whether al-Haddad was killed or wounded in the strikes.
—Eugenia Yosef, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
That means, the lawmakers said, that Virginia is unable to use Democrats' preferred map even if the Supreme Court had allowed it.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unable
Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
Those customers have complained online about being unable to use AcuRite Now to rename multiple temperature sensors, difficulties uploading data to weather sites, and the app only reporting temperatures in whole numbers.
—Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
Hamas did not immediately respond to a request for comment and CNN is unable to independently confirm whether al-Haddad was killed or wounded in the strikes.
—Eugenia Yosef, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
That means, the lawmakers said, that Virginia is unable to use Democrats' preferred map even if the Supreme Court had allowed it.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unable
Adjective
-
Still, coaches worked to make the best of unfit practice locations and engage unsettled kids.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
-
All this while the federal government’s main tool for regulating medical software, the Food and Drug Administration’s device-approval process, is structurally unfit for regulating autonomous clinical AI.—
Alon Bergman,
STAT,
11 May 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
-
She was found incompetent to stand trial in April 2026 and was ordered to a state hospital, the FBI said.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
-
Last month, Rodriguez-Singh was found incompetent to stand trial on a capital murder charge in the death of her son, and she will be remanded to a state mental health facility until her competency can be restored.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Not that the Rays are incapable of putting the baseball off and over the wall.—
Tom Layberger,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
-
In a nutshell, Emilia resents her dad for decades of poor behavior, including a drinking problem that Martínez, who’s been sober for several years now, seems incapable of acknowledging.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unable. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
