unable

adjective

un·​able ˌən-ˈā-bəl 

: not able : incapable: such as

a

: unqualified, incompetent

b

: impotent, helpless

Synonyms of unable

• unfit
• unfitted
• incompetent
• incapable

Examples of unable in a Sentence

I was unable to afford the trip.

He was unable to play tennis after the injury.

Recent Examples on the Web

But most of those players were unable to establish themselves at the top of the game with Madrid or flourish within the national team’s style. — Pol Ballús, New York Times, 24 July 2026

The researchers were unable to determine if both incidents involved the same orcas. — Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 23 July 2026

Beretti, unable to walk because of the painful swelling, managed to drive to an urgent care center four days later. — Ella Moore july 23, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026

The sprawling business model that competitors once envied had become a liability—unwieldy, capital-intensive, and increasingly unable to compete in focused, fast-moving markets. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 23 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unable

• able
• chaebol
• fable
• label
• sable
• stabile
• stable
• table
• allocable
• educable
• irrigable
• purchasable

Kids Definition

unable

adjective

un·​able ˌən-ˈā-bəl 

ˈən-

: not able : incapable