unplayable

adjective

un·​play·​able ˌən-ˈplā-ə-bəl How to pronounce unplayable (audio)
: not capable of being played or suitable to be played : not playable
a golf course rendered unplayable by heavy rains
dealt an unplayable card
music so complex as to be almost unplayable
Service is my strong point at tennis. I am inaccurate, but vigorous, and occasionally send in a quite unplayable shot.P. G. Wodehouse
found the ball in an unplayable lie [=a position that does not allow a shot to be made]

Examples of unplayable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web During the Cyberpunk 2077 benchmark, one of the more graphically taxing games, the ProArt P16 hit an unplayable 10 frames per second (fps) at 2400p. PCMAG, 13 Oct. 2024 Songs by Adele, Bob Dylan, Green Day, R.E.M., Burna Boy, Rush and many others are currently unplayable on YouTube in the U.S. due to a legal dispute between the platform and the performing rights organization SESAC. Jem Aswad, Variety, 28 Sep. 2024 Until YouTube and performing rights organization SESAC reach an agreement on renewal terms of their expiring contract, consumers might find many of their favorite songs unplayable on the video streaming service. Ashley Iasimone, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019 Without a fix, Rockstar's move will make a previously playable online game functionally unplayable for a whole lot of Steam Deck owners, some of whom have no other way to play the game. Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 19 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for unplayable 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unplayable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1806, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unplayable was in 1806

Dictionary Entries Near unplayable

Cite this Entry

“Unplayable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unplayable. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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