unusable

adjective

un·​us·​able ˌən-ˈyü-zə-bəl How to pronounce unusable (audio)
Synonyms of unusablenext
: 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
unusably
ˌən-ˈyü-zə-blē How to pronounce unusable (audio)
adverb

Synonyms of unusable

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Examples of unusable in a Sentence

a completely unusable gadget that's just taking up space in the drawer
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
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 John Gruber, a tech blogger, posited that Claude would now more readily default to watermarked words, rather than unleash the full scope of its linguistic range, which might result in lower-quality text, or in some cases unusable prose. — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2026 While prolonged exposure to salt water has likely rendered the vehicle unusable on another flight, SpaceX has expressed interest in studying it to make improvements to future iterations. — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026 Israeli forces have also pummelled Syria with hundreds of airstrikes in recent years, predominantly targeting Syrian army assets to render the facilities unusable by the new government, which is run by former jihadist Ahmed al-Sharaa. — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unusable

Word History

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unusable was in 1825

Rhymes for unusable

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Browse Nearby Words

unurged
unusable
unuse
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Cite this Entry

“Unusable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unusable. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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