SINCE 1828
unadoptable
adjective
un·adopt·able
| \ ˌən-ə-ˈdäp-tə-bəl
\
\
Definition of unadoptable
: not capable of being adopted especially because of having some undesirable trait : not adoptable
The older animals were considered unadoptable.
Examples of unadoptable in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The overly anxious boxer puppy was an unadoptable mess of a dog. — Amy Mcrary, USA TODAY, "Puppy with anxiety gets special flight for canine therapy," 7 Mar. 2018 Cristina's creatures run the gamut and include the unadoptable, some elderly pets, and those with such varied medical issues as bladder stones and heartworm-positive diagnoses. — Christian Scaffidi, NOLA.com, "Pontchartrain Humane Society Pet Adoption Day is May 12," 9 May 2018 In 1971, the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act gave the animals federal protections while allowing the interior secretary to sell or euthanize older and unadoptable animals. — The Washington Post, NOLA.com, "191 horses dropped dead beside dry pond as Arizona suffers drought," 6 May 2018 They are often deemed unadoptable because of their age. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, "Animal Planet's First Dog Bowl Proves Senior Dogs Have Lots of Life Left to Give," 2 Feb. 2018 After sitting in a shelter cage for three months, the tuxedo cat was deemed unadoptable because of a wound between her shoulder blades that would not heal. — Kaylee Remington, cleveland.com, "Missing Madison Township man's body found in Mentor, police say," 23 Dec. 2017 Philadelphia’s Animal Care and Control Team established the program about four years ago to place unadoptable cats — the biters and the skittish, the swatters and the ones who won’t use a litter box — into jobs as mousers at barns or stables. — Washington Post, "For ornery shelter cats, 2nd chance is a job chasing mice," 18 Oct. 2017 Grown ferals that haven’t been socialized are often considered unadoptable, and newborn kittens require a high level of care, including around-the-clock feeding. — Julia Herbst, Los Angeles Magazine, "The Complicated Politics of L.A.’s Feral Cats," 25 Sep. 2017 The 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act allows older, unadoptable animals to be sold. — Scott Sonner, The Seattle Times, "Wild horses could be sold for slaughter in Trump budget plan," 25 May 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'unadoptable.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on unadoptable
What made you want to look up unadoptable? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
What did you just call me?! A Quiz
-
- If a member of the audience describes your speech as bombastic, does that person mean it is:
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Share unadoptable
Resources for unadoptable