unlivable

adjective

un·​liv·​able ˌən-ˈli-və-bəl How to pronounce unlivable (audio)
: unable to be lived or unfit to live in, on, or with : not livable
unlivable tenements
… he devoted himself to making life unlivable for them.Jack London

Examples of unlivable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Now, the worst months of summer are nearly unlivable. Yasmine Mosimann Emily Garthwaite, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2023 As high tide floods increase in some areas of New York City, its residents are asking themselves: When does a place become unlivable? Winston Choi-Schagrin Dave Sanders, New York Times, 5 Nov. 2023 Should global temperatures further warm up to 3 degrees, research shows the result would be unlivable conditions in much of the world. Stephanie Ebbs, ABC News, 1 Nov. 2023 One partner, usually the man, could earn enough with a single salary to buy a home and a car, see the doctor, and go to work every day without the existential dread of climate change making his life unlivable. Charlotte Kilpatrick, The New Republic, 19 June 2023 But that world will become unlivable unless there is also strategic cooperation. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Foreign Affairs, 8 June 2023 The village was hit by a devastating tornado in 2012 that damaged many of the town's buildings and rendered one-third of the village's houses unlivable. Erin Glynn, The Enquirer, 3 May 2023 Switzerland’s capital city is becoming increasingly unlivable for many of its citizens, as rental and buying prices exceed those in New York and London. Byryan Hogg, Fortune, 21 Sep. 2023 Without insurance, many whose homes were deemed unlivable were left to face repair costs by themselves or take out loans to make fixes. Nouran Salahieh, CNN, 2 July 2023 See More

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

1834, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unlivable was in 1834

Dictionary Entries Near unlivable

Cite this Entry

“Unlivable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unlivable. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.

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