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unwinnable

unwinnable

6 4.6
Not possible to win
  • adjective
  • /ʌnˈwɪnəbl/
translation icon : imposible de ganar
  • After several attempts, the team conceded that the match had become unwinnable against their rivals.
  • unwinnable war

And we've been fighting this stupid, unwinnable war ever since.

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Examples

  • I think Roberts did a good job trying to navigate an unwinnable situation.

    Blog text (18)
  • What we've got here is an unwinnable situation.

  • Nothing is unwinnable, if we join together and battle as one.

  • The top leadership never went to the Secretary of Defense or the President and said, 'This war is unwinnable the way we are fighting it.'

    Academic text (2007)
  • Nobody believes that because it's an unwinnable war.

  • So men are now put in basically unwinnable situations.

  • Stop wasting billions of dollars a year and countless lives on an unwinnable and unneeded war.

    Blog text (11)
  • Let the best minds of our administration start looking for a way out and stop looking for a way to win this unwinnable war, because it is my considered opinion that continuing on that path will lead us to catastrophe.

  • The race appeared unwinnable for Romney, as he trailed by up to 10 in Ohio.

    Blog text (7)
  • But even so, it appears to be an unwinnable battle against a constant barrage of germs, viruses, and bacteria.

    Blog text (16)

Synonyms

unbeatable
vsunwinnable
30 3.4

Very hard to beat in a contest, like a team or player

expresses the same idea but can stress absolute impossibility
no-win
vsunwinnable
16 6.5

A situation where every choice leads to failure or loss

refers to an outcome impossible to secure victory in rather than a mere failure chance
unassailable
vsunwinnable
11 8.0

So strong that no one can attack, defeat, or prove it wrong

limits the focus to lack of possible victory rather than challenge proof
unconquerable
vsunwinnable
4 7.3

Too strong for anyone to defeat

highlights the impossibility of achieving victory in a contest
insuperable
vsunwinnable
  • Formal
2 9.1

So hard that no one can get past it

applies the impossibility specifically to winning a contest or fight
undefeatable
vsunwinnable
2 4.9

Too strong for anyone to beat

is the same impossibility of achieving victory in a situation
unhittable
vsunwinnable
1 7.3

Very hard to defeat in a competition or argument

means the outcome cannot be won rather than just being hard to hit
unvanquishable
vsunwinnable
9.9

Cannot be defeated

focuses on inability to gain victory rather than resistance to rule

Antonyms

14 4.0

Possible to win if you try and plan well

How Winnable

certain
946 1.0
winnable
14 4.0
possible
1.0
unlikely
487 1.9
unwinnable
6 4.6

Surface Forms

unwinnable positive

Morphology

unwinnable = winnable (transparent) = un + win + able

The adjective is formed by adding the negative prefix 'un-' to 'winnable', yielding a straightforward negation.

Etymology

The word unwinnable breaks into un- 'not', win, and -able 'able to be'. So it literally means 'not able to be won', just like readable means 'able to be read', which is why we call a game, fight, or argument unwinnable when you cannot win.