as in useless
not capable of being put to use or account
a completely unusable gadget that's just taking up space in the drawer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 unusable
The upper one-third of the lake could be unusable for recreation by the end of this century.
—
Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Parchment paper may become unusable after one or two uses at high temperatures.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 13 Oct. 2025
Hunter’s farm was rendered almost unusable.
—Emma Green, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
The walking trails at a West Price Hill park have been officially closed for the last three months and unusable for about a year.
—Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unusable
Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Parchment paper may become unusable after one or two uses at high temperatures.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 13 Oct. 2025
Hunter’s farm was rendered almost unusable.
—Emma Green, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
The walking trails at a West Price Hill park have been officially closed for the last three months and unusable for about a year.
—Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unusable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unusable
Adjective
-
Brown’s statement on Monday was mostly useless corporate-speak.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
-
This tiny amount of copper acts as a molecular steering wheel, preventing sugar molecules from shattering into useless carbon dioxide.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Critics lambasted those policies as impractical at best, reckless at worst.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The Countach is also famously impractical and a pain to drive, so the next buyer will likely be taking on a more-than-usual stewardship role in terms of old supercars, the service not being to themselves but to the wider community, which gets to look at the Countach rather than operate it.—
Erik Shilling,
Robb Report,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Soils that are high in peat moss are unsuitable for citrus trees.—
Derek Carwood,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Jan. 2026
-
These tests, though frequently used in Denmark as part of child protection investigations, were criticized as inappropriate and unsuitable for the people of Greenland and other minorities.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unusable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unusable. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share