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unusable

unusable

16 2.3
Damaged or broken so it does not work
  • adjective
  • /ʌnˈjuzəbl/
translation icon : inservible
  • A total of 261 surveys were returned; 44 were incomplete and therefore unusable, leaving a total of 217 usable surveys.
  • rendered unusable
  • unusable questionnaires
  • deemed unusable

It is one of several bags that I have of unused, unopened, essentially unusable samples and minis and products from my Birchbox.

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Examples

  • Analog television signals are no longer broadcast, rendering older sets unusable without a converter box.

    Academic text (2009)
  • And you got data that was basically unusable for national estimates.

  • Once data entry was complete, a number of quality checks were run, and unusable responses were eliminated.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Ten of the questionnaires were unusable because of incomplete data.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Ten of the returned surveys were deemed unusable, resulting in a final sample of 300.

    Academic text (2007)
  • Due to incomplete information, 7% of these questionnaires were unusable, resulting in a final sample of 139.

    Academic text (2005)
  • More manuscript provides sufficient data, although folio pages 8r and 8v are now nearly unusable because of inept repairs.

    Academic text (2016)
  • The old computer is completely unusable because it doesn't have enough memory.

  • After the storm, many items in the warehouse were unusable due to water damage.

  • The instructions were so confusing that they made the software unusable for new users.

Synonyms

useless
vsunusable
550 1.0

Not able to do the job it is made for

focuses on inability to be used rather than general lack of usefulness
unfit
vsunusable
51 3.7

Not suitable for a particular job or use

means unable to be used, not just below a quality threshold
unsuitable
vsunusable
20 2.6

Not right for a person, place, or purpose

focuses on being incapable of use rather than only inappropriate
inoperable
vsunusable
7 7.1

You cannot use it because it does not work

is about inability to be used generally rather than only failing to operate
nonfunctional
vsunusable
3 4.4

Not working or broken

is about being incapable of use rather than only broken
unserviceable
vsunusable
1 7.4

Cannot be used because it is broken or damaged

is broader, meaning incapable of being used in any way
unuseful
vsunusable
5.2

Not able to do what is needed

highlights incapacity for use rather than mere lack of usefulness
unfunctional
vsunusable
8.2

Not useful for everyday tasks

emphasizes inability to be used rather than lacking practical fit

Antonyms

64 2.3

Fit for a purpose and works well

How Usable

operational
102 4.1
usable
64 2.3
serviceable
11 4.4
unusable
16 2.3
broken
31 1.0

Surface Forms

unusable positive

Morphology

unusable = usable (transparent) = un + use + able

The adjective is formed by negating 'usable' with the productive prefix 'un-', yielding 'not able to be used', which is directly inferable.

Etymology

Unusable comes from un- meaning 'not', use meaning 'to put something to work', and -able meaning 'able to be'. So unusable means 'not able to be used', for example a broken phone or a wet paper that cannot be used.