unusable
adjective
un·us·able
ˌən-ˈyü-zə-bəl 
: not capable of being used or fit for use : not usable
unusable documentary footage
The lavatory, totally unusable, was full of snow which had blasted in through the keyhole.—
Katharine Sim
Katharine Sim
Synonyms
Examples of unusable in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The contract calls for the company, known as METS, to provide the concrete, crush some of the debris so it can be reused on site and ferry materials to and from the airport on its barges, including unusable debris from the demolition.
—Patrick McGeehan, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2023
Advertisement Their calls grew more urgent last summer, when a breaker malfunction left the park’s floodlights inoperable and fields unusable after sunset for over a month.
—Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Sep. 2023
Until a few years ago, organs from such donors were considered unusable because of the risk of infecting the recipient.
—Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2023
Recent medical advances in treating infections such as hepatitis C and HIV have made previously unusable organs usable.
—Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2023
The conflict has exposed the extent to which NATO allies were sitting on stockpiles of arms and ordnance in poor or downright unusable conditions.
—The Editors, National Review, 20 Sep. 2023
Or worse, the wax melts unevenly, leaving you with an expensive eyesore or a downright unusable candle.
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 31 Aug. 2023
Cafeterias and kitchens were unusable; students’ 45-minute commutes turned into two hours; one school was temporarily evacuated.
—Colbi Edmonds, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2023
As well, the BSS approach could recover signals that would have otherwise rendered the lidar data unusable.
—IEEE Spectrum, 3 Oct. 2023
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Patrick McGeehan, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2023
Advertisement Their calls grew more urgent last summer, when a breaker malfunction left the park’s floodlights inoperable and fields unusable after sunset for over a month.
—Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Sep. 2023
Until a few years ago, organs from such donors were considered unusable because of the risk of infecting the recipient.
—Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2023
Recent medical advances in treating infections such as hepatitis C and HIV have made previously unusable organs usable.
—Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2023
The conflict has exposed the extent to which NATO allies were sitting on stockpiles of arms and ordnance in poor or downright unusable conditions.
—The Editors, National Review, 20 Sep. 2023
Or worse, the wax melts unevenly, leaving you with an expensive eyesore or a downright unusable candle.
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 31 Aug. 2023
Cafeterias and kitchens were unusable; students’ 45-minute commutes turned into two hours; one school was temporarily evacuated.
—Colbi Edmonds, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2023
As well, the BSS approach could recover signals that would have otherwise rendered the lidar data unusable.
—IEEE Spectrum, 3 Oct. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unusable.' 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
1825, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near unusable
Cite this Entry
“Unusable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unusable. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.
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