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undrivable

undrivable

5.5
A road that cars cannot use safely because it is blocked or damaged
  • adjective
  • /ʌnˈdraɪvəbl/
translation icon : intransitable
  • After the flood, many rural roads became undrivable due to deep mud and debris.

Examples

  • The old bridge was declared undrivable after engineers found serious structural damage.

  • The heavy snow made the mountain pass completely undrivable for several days.

  • The road became undrivable after the heavy rain.

  • Is this area undrivable due to the snow?

  • The heavy snow made the mountain pass completely undrivable for several days.

  • After the flood, many rural roads became undrivable due to deep mud and debris.

  • The old bridge was declared undrivable after engineers found serious structural damage.

Synonyms

inaccessible
vsundrivable
28 7.9

Not able to be reached, used, or understood

is about vehicle safety or road condition, not just reachability
impassable
vsundrivable
13 5.3

A road, path, or area you cannot travel through

is specific to car or vehicle travel being unsafe or impossible
unpassable
vsundrivable
1 6.9

A road or path that people cannot cross

focuses on cars and vehicle safety rather than general crossing issues
untraversable
vsundrivable
1 9.1

Not possible to cross by people or vehicles

applies when vehicle passage is unsafe though general travel may be affected
impassible
vsundrivable
9.2

Impossible to travel through because obstacles block the way

highlights danger for cars rather than only obstacle presence

Antonyms

3 3.4

Something a person can drive or a car can travel on

How Drivable

drivable
3 3.4
passable
4 3.5
rough
164 1.0
undrivable
5.5
impassable
13 5.3

Surface Forms

undrivable positive

Morphology

undrivable = drivable (transparent) = un + drive + able

The word is built by adding the negative prefix 'un-' to the adjective 'drivable' (drive + -able), yielding the straightforward meaning 'not possible/safe to drive on.'

Etymology

Undrivable is made from un- 'not' and drive 'to move a vehicle on a road', so it can mean 'not possible or safe to drive on'. Imagine a road full of deep mud or a broken bridge where no car can pass, and you will remember why we call such roads 'undrivable'.