undrinkable

adjective

un·​drink·​able ˌən-ˈdriŋ-kə-bəl How to pronounce undrinkable (audio)
: unsuitable or unpleasant to drink

Examples of undrinkable in a Sentence

The water was undrinkable and had to be boiled.
Recent Examples on the Web Rising sea level and California’s whiplash weather have been impacting their water table, with seawater seeping in and causing pipes to corrode, making water undrinkable. Rachel Ramirez, CNN, 2 Sep. 2023 Reporter Daniella Silva talked exclusively to asylum-seekers about the undrinkable water, constant threat of solitary confinement and limited access to doctors that make living there unbearable and dangerous. Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 18 July 2023 Salt in the drinking water Montevideo’s tap water is basically undrinkable, said Carlos Santos, a member of the National Commission for the Defense of Water and Life (CNDAV) and a lecturer in anthropology at the University of the Republic in Uruguay. Jack Guy, CNN, 25 June 2023 The park’s undrinkable water and raw sewage leaks posed a hazard to residents’ health and well-being, the judge wrote. Zachariah Hughes, Anchorage Daily News, 8 May 2023 California has 14 seawater plants and 23 plants for brackish water, which comes from sources like rivers and aqueducts that are less salty than seawater but are still undrinkable without treatment. The Week Staff, The Week, 12 Feb. 2023 Approximately 98 percent is from the oceans — and undrinkable because of the salt content. Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 3 Mar. 2022 In the case of the 2020 Burt Reynolds Lodi Zinfandel, the card (wisely) included more about Burt’s movies than the wine, which was truly undrinkable, as was the oxidized 2019 DeLoach Unoaked Chardonnay. Lettie Teague, WSJ, 9 Dec. 2021 More than 70% of Planet Earth is covered by water, but nearly 97% of that water is salty and therefore undrinkable, according to the EPA. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 20 Apr. 2023 See More

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

1611, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of undrinkable was in 1611

Dictionary Entries Near undrinkable

Cite this Entry

“Undrinkable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undrinkable. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.

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