Definition of unable
: not able : incapable: such asa : unqualified, incompetentb : impotent, helpless
From the M-W Editors
Examples of unable in a Sentence
I was unable to afford the trip.
He was unable to play tennis after the injury.
Recent Examples of unable from the Web
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Dustin Johnson, the No. 1 player in the world and the defending United States Open champion, was unable to overcome a bad opening round and missed a cut for the second time this year.
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After the early stages, marked by depression, irritability and loss of coordination, people with Huntington’s are eventually trapped in their bodies, able to perceive their deterioration but unable to communicate.
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Mudslides have become common in Sri Lanka during monsoon rains due to heavy deforestation that leaves soil unable to hold water.
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But some remained trapped in interior villages where boats have been unable to reach.
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Much of the same can be said for Oklahoma (54-9), which has been unable to generate much offense off Makayla Martin, who won the season opener and is 2-1 with a 1.02 ERA against Oklahoma.
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FC Dallas (5-2-4) entered allowing a league-low in goals, but their defense proved unable to slow down the Nikolic and Accam scoring show.
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From NewsOK: State lawmakers have been talking for months about levying a $1.50 per pack tax on cigarette sales, but have been unable to gather enough votes to pass the measure in the House.
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Miami-Dade Fire Rescue workers who were unable to unlock Jackson’s cellphone called the school trying to find out his name.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'unable'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
14th Century
First Known Use of unable
14th century
UNABLE Defined for English Language Learners
UNABLE Defined for Kids
unable
playDefinition of unable for Students
: not able I am unable to attend.
Learn More about unable
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See words that rhyme with unable Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for unable Spanish Central: Translation of unable Nglish: Translation of unable for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of unable for Arabic speakers
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