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

unusably

ˌən-ˈyü-zə-blē 

adverb

Synonyms of unusable

• useless
• impractical
• unsuitable

Examples of unusable in a Sentence

a completely unusable gadget that's just taking up space in the drawer

Recent Examples on the Web

Authorities slow internet speeds until services become unusable. —Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 4 May 2026

The volumetric data are therefore rendered unusable, as there is not yet a reliable method for reconciling nonuniform reporting. —Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 30 Apr. 2026

One building is now unusable after someone broke into an electrical box and burned components inside, cutting off power. —Nina Burns, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026

Buying medicine or collecting pensions is difficult for retirees in a country where banks set limits on cash withdrawals and most ATMs are broken or unusable because there’s no electricity. —Sarah Moreno updated April 29, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unusable

• fusible
• usable
• diffusible
• excusable
• infusible
• reusable
• inexcusable