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unwatchable

unwatchable

5.3
So shocking or upsetting that many people cannot watch
  • adjective
  • /ʌnˈwɑːtʃəbl/
translation icon : inmirable
  • I had to turn off the documentary; its portrayal of animal cruelty was truly unwatchable.

Examples

  • And even if most of The Asylum's movies are functionally unwatchable, there's a joy in witnessing its no-budget machine in motion.

    Blog text (7)
  • It is, and I quote myself, "hilarious, transgressive, brilliant, and most people will find it unwatchable."

    Blog text (1)
  • That behavior always struck me as odd, so seeing this guy going after 11-year-olds the same way was really, really unwatchable.

    Blog text (3)
  • So the way that that man eats cereal, it's disgusting, like it's on, it's unwatchable, it's unlisten to able.

  • Believe it or not, over 100 Prager University videos are on the restricted list, meaning that, in effect, they are lumped with violence and pornography as unwatchable by children, libraries, and schools.

  • The horror film was so terrifyingly graphic that many viewers found it completely unwatchable.

  • After just a few minutes, I realized that the movie's disturbing scenes made it unwatchable for me.

Synonyms

horrible
vsunwatchable
1.5

Very bad or frightening in a way that makes you feel upset

is specifically used when viewers cannot bear to watch
appalling
vsunwatchable
87 5.6

Causing shock and strong disgust because it is very bad

is used when the shock makes people avoid watching
horrendous
vsunwatchable
82 7.0

Very shocking and scary, causing fear or disgust

is about making people stop watching because of shock
horrid
vsunwatchable
52 4.1

A very unpleasant thing that shocks or disgusts you

is mainly about disturbing images that viewers reject
intolerable
vsunwatchable
42 4.9

So unpleasant or painful that you cannot bear it

focuses on causing refusal to watch due to unbearable discomfort
deplorable
vsunwatchable
38 6.8

Very bad and unacceptable, deserving strong criticism

is often moral judgment rather than immediate visual shock that stops watching
objectionable
vsunwatchable
31 6.7

Causing people to feel offended or want to protest

is more about shock or disgust that prevents watching rather than moral offense
unendurable
vsunwatchable
3 8.0

Too unpleasant or painful to bear

relates to physical or emotional tolerance rather than watching refusal
unviewable
vsunwatchable
7.1

Too unpleasant or badly made for people to watch

is about shock or disturbance that stops people from watching it
not a pretty sight
vsunwatchable
  • Informal
7.2

An unpleasant scene that shocks people

is used when images are too disturbing for people to keep watching

Antonyms

477 2.5

Good enough for a particular use or standard

314 1.0

Giving a gentle feeling of enjoyment

How Watchable

watchable
5 3.4
engaging
12 3.5
disturbing
304 4.2
unwatchable
5.3
horrific
179 5.5

Surface Forms

unwatchable positive

Morphology

unwatchable = watchable (transparent) = un + watch + able

Standard negative derivation from 'watchable'; the emotional/affective shift is still directly signalled by 'un-'.

Etymology

Unwatchable builds on un- 'not' and watch 'to look'. So it can mean something is so shocking or disturbing that people simply cannot or do not want to watch it.