unrecognizable

adjective

un·​rec·​og·​niz·​able ˌən-ˈre-kəg-ˌnī-zə-bəl How to pronounce unrecognizable (audio)
-kig-
: incapable of being identified or recognized : not recognizable
The beaches were unrecognizable after the hurricane.
He was unrecognizable without his mustache.
unrecognizableness noun
unrecognizably adverb
an unrecognizably altered landscape

Examples of unrecognizable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web While a general flattening has been a yearslong trend in the U.S., this year the shape has become unrecognizable, experts said. Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024 The bill almost unrecognizable from the Senate version of the bill, though, after a House committee substitute. Hannah Pinski, The Courier-Journal, 15 Mar. 2024 Stanton’s arc includes cutting back to the prosecution of the Civil War and his relationship with Lincoln (Hamish Linklater, mostly unrecognizable while nailing the reedy voice), as on-air graphics grimly count down to the president’s fateful trip to Ford’s Theatre. Brian Lowry, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024 The whirlwind experience was almost unrecognizable compared to Kirby’s two previous efforts. Kevin Hartnett, Quanta Magazine, 22 Feb. 2024 On Thursday, February 15, the British singer was spotted around New York City looking almost unrecognizable in a voluminous yet sleek new bob. Marci Robin, Allure, 15 Feb. 2024 Perhaps these stats and feelings aren’t so surprising; business today is just about unrecognizable from the early pandemic era, when most everyone assumed the shift to work-from-home would be temporary. Jane Thier, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2024 Tabasco—practically unrecognizable without her signature bob—wore a scrapbook Marni dress, a standout from the brand’s spring 2024 collection. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 16 Jan. 2024 Speculative fiction works by melding the familiar with the unrecognizable. Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unrecognizable.' 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

1817, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unrecognizable was in 1817

Dictionary Entries Near unrecognizable

Cite this Entry

“Unrecognizable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unrecognizable. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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