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Glite Dictionary
uncoachable

uncoachable

1 7.4
Not willing to accept help or advice to improve
  • adjective
  • /ʌnˈkoʊtʃəbl/
  • Informal
translation icon : instruible
  • Teachers often find it challenging to teach students who are uncoachable and unwilling to accept their advice.

One thing about success in life, if you uncoachable, then you'll never be successful.

Examples

  • Curtis was named Player of the Decade at Colby Junior College... but he also developed a reputation for being uncoachable.

    Hoop Dreams (1994)

  • One thing about success in life, if you uncoachable, then you'll never be successful.

    GQ

  • The coach decided to give up on him because he was completely uncoachable and refused to follow any instructions.

  • Her uncoachable attitude during practice frustrated the whole team, making it hard for anyone to work with her.

Synonyms

unteachable
vsuncoachable
2 5.9

Not willing or able to learn new things

focuses on refusing or not accepting coaching or guidance
uneducable
vsuncoachable
  • Offensive
1 8.8

Not able or willing to learn from teaching

is about resisting coaching rather than permanent inability

Antonyms

coachable
3 4.1

Willing to learn from feedback and try to improve

How Coachable

coachable
3 4.1
receptive
52 4.1
reluctant
247 3.5
resistant
20 4.3
uncoachable
  • Informal
1 7.4
incorrigible
15 8.1

Surface Forms

uncoachable positive

Morphology

uncoachable = coachable (transparent) = un + coach + able

The negative prefix 'un-' is attached to the adjective 'coachable' to give a straightforward opposite meaning.

Etymology

Uncoachable comes from un- ('not'), coach, and -able ('can be'). Long ago coach meant a carriage that 'carried' people and later came to mean a person who 'carries' you to improve, so uncoachable describes someone who cannot or will not be helped by coaching.