INOPERABLE Synonyms: 86 Similar and Opposite Words

inoperable

adjective

(ˌ)in-ˈä-p(ə-)rə-bəl

Definition of inoperable

as in malfunctioning

not being in working order we have several inoperable cars on the property

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in useless

not capable of being put to use or account a delightfully creative but inoperable plan for building a theme park in the area

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of inoperable Worse yet, doctors told her that the tumor was inoperable and had spread to multiple parts of her brain. — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 22 Aug. 2026 Last December, Lawler and her colleagues published a new metric called the CRASH Clock, which estimates what would happen in orbit if every single satellite suddenly became inoperable. — Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2026 Additionally, the software issue could cause the signal lamps, hazard lamp function and certain warning buzzers to become inoperable. — Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026 Laptops, Phones, and Other Electronics The internal parts of electronics could be at risk of permanently overheating, rendering the device inoperable or beyond repair when left in a hot car, according to Van Tassell. — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 9 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inoperable

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inoperable

Adjective

Homeowners reported a swift meeting at which officers discussed a reorganization of their specific duties and the hiring of an elevator expert to fix the chronically malfunctioning, overloaded elevators.

— Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2026
Watching the first episode of Ultimate Girl’s Trip is like riding in a malfunctioning time machine.

— Brian Moylan, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of malfunctioning

Adjective

Darth Vader sports useless tape recorder-style buttons on his chest plate.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
David Shnaiderov, who directs the Nuclear Quantum division at Quantum X Labs, pointed out that simulating particle transport is useless without a practical way to represent real physical shapes.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of useless

Adjective

Either squad could have plausibly won the 2021 Western Conference in a relatively down year.

— John Hollinger, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
An investor sees the breadth divergence, watches the failed breakouts and notices the heavier down-volume, but then waits for a headline to confirm what the price data has already said.

— Thomas Hartmann, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of down

Adjective

First glimpsed in The Empire Strikes Back and heavily featured in Return of the Jedi are typical of the Empire; designed to instil fear, but laughably impractical.

— Chris McMullen, Space.com, 5 Sep. 2026
Without the proper port facilities, regulations, safety protocols, and other essentials, nuclear cargo ships are as impractical as steamships without coal or oil refueling stations.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of impractical

Adjective

If the main engines were to become inoperative, six smaller orbit-control thrusters can still be activated on the lunar surface, providing an alternative pathway for a rapid ascent.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 14 June 2026
And there’s been plenty of media focus since then — including on inoperative toilets.

— Michael Peregrine, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026

Definition of inoperative

Adjective

There’s a brief pause, and then my phone goes haywire, inundated with Bluetooth signal spam — new Airpods connections, contact requests, an avalanche of popups that make my phone basically unusable until Hedge shuts it off.

— Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2026
Phoenix Semiconductor engineers helped NAVAIR recover a supply of unusable legacy chips for a safety-critical system on the F/A-18 Super Hornet.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of unusable

Adjective

Subsense showed off a nonfunctional mock-up of a cap that looked like a cross between a baseball cap and a bike helmet.

— Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026
Days said the focus of the project is not changing the machine's appearance or replacing a piece of Pittsburgh history, but repairing the internal components that have long been nonfunctional.

— Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of nonfunctional

Adjective

Guy acknowledges, though, that this could lead to the level of chaos depicted in a memorable 2009 episode of The Office, where staff show up in an array of unsuitable outfits.

— Chloe Veltman, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
That could allow geothermal projects to operate in locations that have traditionally been considered unsuitable for geothermal development.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of unsuitable

Browse Nearby Words

in one's cups

inoperable

inoperative

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“Inoperable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inoperable. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of inoperable

adjective

Example Sentences

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