# unaccountable

/ˌənəˈkaʊntəbəɫ/ (US) · /ʌnɐkˈaʊntəbəl/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/unaccountable
Updated: 2026-10-15

## Definition

impossible to explain or understand. You use it for strange feelings, delays, or behaviour that have no clear reason.

For teachers: impossible to explain or account for by reason or evidence. Often describes feelings, absences, or delays that lack an obvious cause.

## Examples

- She feels an unaccountable fear of open water.
- The train has an unaccountable delay and nobody at the station knows why.
- Historians noted an unaccountable gap in the letters from 1916, with no record of where he lived that winter.

## Synonyms

inexplicable, unexplainable, mysterious, puzzling, baffling

## Antonyms

explainable

## Usage notes

- Typically placed before the noun it modifies.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.