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untrainable

untrainable

1 7.0
Impossible or very hard to teach to follow instructions
  • adjective
  • /ʌnˈtreɪnəbl/
translation icon : instruible
  • Due to her strong-willed personality, the horse proved to be untrainable, refusing to follow commands.

After a minute, the dog's untrainable a minute.

Examples

  • Another reason for opposing integration is that physicians view traditional healers as "untrainable" simply because they are subject to superstitious beliefs, and also that since their practice is secret, it is difficult to evaluate.

    Academic text (1999)
  • You're untrainable.

  • He was known for his ability to train untrainable animals, to win their trust and even their affection.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Loyal and affectionate, but untrainable.

  • This guy's untrainable.

  • The latest 'policy' in this badly run war is one of supposedly training the untrainable, corrupt, untrustworthy, unworkable police.

    Blog text (26)
  • But he was untrainable inside and peed constantly on the rugs, so Coyote named him Pee Bear.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • "No ma'am," she answered like a caught orderly, caught sleeping, caught lying, looking up at Charlene's face as though too stupid to be much at lying but not so stupid as to be untrainable.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • It processes paperwork, manages benefits, attempts to train the untrainable, places ads, pre-screens employees, administers programs, and generally serves as a dumping ground for programs and projects unworthy of line management.

    Blog text (32)
  • Many dog trainers believe that some breeds are simply untrainable because they resist all attempts at training.

Synonyms

unteachable
vsuntrainable
1 5.4

Impossible to teach, usually needing natural talent or personal experience

is about things or beings that cannot be prepared for learning
uneducable
vsuntrainable
  • Offensive
1 8.8

Not able or willing to learn from teaching

focuses on general impossibility to prepare for learning or use
unlearnable
vsuntrainable
8.2

Very hard to learn even after much practice

describes inability to be prepared for others to learn or practice

Antonyms

14 3.5

Willing and able to learn from advice and feedback

2 2.9

Able to learn new skills when someone teaches it

How Trainable

docile
22 5.5
teachable
14 3.5
trainable
2 2.9
resistant
20 4.3
untrainable
1 7.0

Surface Forms

untrainable positive

Morphology

untrainable = trainable (transparent) = un + train + able

The meaning is a straightforward negation of 'trainable' using the productive prefix 'un-', giving 'not able to be trained'.

Etymology

Untrainable breaks into un- ('not'), train (to teach, the same root in trainer and training), and -able ('able to'). So an untrainable animal or person is 'not able to be taught' or very hard to train.