Word
unattainable
Phoneticsunattain·able
US/ˌənəˈteɪnəbəɫ/
UK/ʌnɐtˈeɪnəbəl/
Definition
adj. impossible to reach or achieve. You use this to describe a goal or a place that feels too far away to get to.
adj. impossible to reach, achieve, or obtain. Often describes goals that are distant or objects that are physically out of reach.
Examples
“The summit of the mountain is unattainable for most climbers.”
“Many people find the dream of living in a large city unattainable due to the high cost of housing.”
“The philosopher argued that true happiness is an unattainable ideal for most humans, as our desires are constantly shifting and expanding.”
Examples
simple
“The summit of the mountain is unattainable for most climbers.”
contextual
“Many people find the dream of living in a large city unattainable due to the high cost of housing.”
complex
“The philosopher argued that true happiness is an unattainable ideal for most humans, as our desires are constantly shifting and expanding.”
Real-World Examples
“Perhaps the pressure to meet increasingly demanding and sometimes unattainable standards is driving this behaviour.” “That’s not unattainable if things go well for Starship, but it would take time.” Etymology
From un- + attain + -able.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/unattainable