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unmasterable

unmasterable

9.5
Impossible to learn completely, control, or become skilled at
  • adjective
  • /ʌnˈmɑːstərəbəl/
translation icon : incontrolable
  • Despite years of practice, she felt that playing the piano remained unmasterable for her.

Examples

  • The complexities of quantum physics often seem unmasterable to college students.

  • There is a huge and unmasterable literature by now on what Hegel and company called die bürgerliche Gesellschaft—and some pointers to at least the highlights of this literature really ought to make it into the published Project Syndicate version, but there is as of yet no easy way to include them.

    Blog text (7)
  • Many people believe that mastering a new language as an adult can be unmasterable.

Synonyms

uncontrollable
vsunmasterable
47 4.9

Not able to be held back

also covers being impossible to learn or to become skilled at
unmanageable
vsunmasterable
12 6.2

Hard to control or deal with

additionally refers to inability to learn or fully master something
untrainable
vsunmasterable
1 7.0

Impossible or very hard to teach to follow instructions

is wider, covering failure to learn as well as failure to control
unteachable
vsunmasterable
1 5.4

Impossible to teach, usually needing natural talent or personal experience

includes inability to learn independently or to be controlled as well
unlearnable
vsunmasterable
8.2

Very hard to learn even after much practice

is broader, also referring to inability to control or become skilled
unmaneuverable
vsunmasterable
  • US
8.4

Hard to control or change

is broader, also applying to things that cannot be learned or mastered
unsubduable
vsunmasterable
9.9

Not able to be defeated or controlled

also applies to things that cannot be learned or made skilled at

Antonyms

191 4.1

To learn something very well so you can do it easily

57 3.2

Easy to deal with

How Masterable

learnable
1 3.4
difficult
1.6
unmasterable
9.5

Surface Forms

unmasterable positive

Morphology

unmasterable = masterable (transparent) = un + master + able

The negative prefix 'un-' is applied to the adjective 'masterable' (master + -able), yielding 'not able to be mastered', a directly derivable meaning.

Etymology

The word unmasterable breaks into un- 'not', master 'to control or be skilled', and -able 'can be'. So unmasterable means 'not' able to be mastered — something you cannot fully learn, control, or become skilled at.