unreliable

1 of 2

adjective

un·​re·​li·​able ˌən-ri-ˈlī-ə-bəl 

: not reliable : undependable, untrustworthy

an unreliable friend

an unreliable source of funding

an unreliable car

unreliability

ˌən-ri-ˌlī-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

the unreliability of the data

a person with a reputation for unreliability

unreliably

ˌən-ri-ˈlī-ə-blē 

adverb

a method that works unreliably

unreliability

2 of 2

noun

un·​reliability ¦ən+ 

: the quality or state of being unreliable

Examples of unreliable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

If the underlying internet connection is slow or unreliable, changing the internal wireless network may not address the root cause. — William Jones, jsonline.com, 10 Sep. 2026

There's so much clutter out there, and there's so much unreliable information. — Sophia Panych, Allure, 10 Sep. 2026

The air conditioning was shot, the elevators were unreliable, the basement and parking lot flooded, the roof leaked and the men’s restroom doubled as a storage room. — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2026

Some say the deal will amount to nothing if the money isn’t used to fix longstanding problems like unreliable public services. — Gonzalo Zegarra, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1810, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unreliable

• liable
• pliable
• triable
• viable
• classifiable
• justifiable
• modifiable
• notifiable
• satisfiable
• specifiable
• undeniable
• verifiable