unreliable

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

Examples of unreliable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But because of its Schedule I status, VA doctors are forbidden from recommending or even discussing cannabis, leaving patients to navigate a legal and medical gray zone on their own, often turning to unreliable sources for information, access and even unsafe products. —Laura Hartman, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2025

Airline in-seat power can be unreliable, so consider a portable charger for your phone. —Larry Magid, Mercury News, 12 June 2025

These implants required a power source to work, were unreliable, difficult to use, and had limited resolution, and the surgical procedure necessary to put them in the eye was extremely complicated. —ArsTechnica, 12 June 2025

According to the report, there are 16 million people in the region still without electricity and another 60 million experiencing unreliable service. —Jamie Hailstone, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1810, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unreliable

• leviable
• reliable
• classifiable
• justifiable
• modifiable
• notifiable
• satisfiable
• specifiable
• undeniable
• verifiable
• emulsifiable
• identifiable