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unattainablenot able to be reached or achieved

Part of speech: ADJECTIVE

Definition: not able to be reached or achieved

Pronunciation (IPA): /ˌʌnəˈteɪnəbl/

Example Sentences

  • My mom's unattainable expectation: cleaning my room without being told 47 times.
  • Perfect work-life balance remains unattainable for most people.
  • His unattainable crush: the girl who doesn't even know his name exists.

unattainable

ADJECTIVE

[/ˌʌnəˈteɪnəbl/]

not able to be reached or achieved

Forever out of reach
💡 Concept

Forever out of reach

Ignoring the sustainable and obtainable, chasing the unattainable
🎵 Rhyme

Ignoring the sustainable and obtainable, chasing the unattainable

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🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ˌʌnəˈteɪnəbl/
🇬🇧 UK/ˌʌnəˈteɪnəbl/

🌳Etymology

Prefixun--
Rootattain
Suffix--able

Origin

The word derives from 14th-century French 'ateindre' (to reach or attain), combined with the negative prefix 'un-' and the adjectival suffix '-able'. The French root ultimately traces to Latin 'attingere' (to touch, reach), and the negative prefix 'un-' was used to form adjectives expressing inability or impossibility.

Breakdown

un- (not) + attain (from French ateindre, meaning to reach) + -able (capable of, susceptible to). The morphological structure negates the capacity to be reached or achieved.

🎵Rhyme

sustainablemaintainableobtainable
sustainable
maintainable
obtainable

🔗Collocations

unattainable goal
unattainable dream
seem unattainable
unattainable perfection
remain unattainable
unattainable standard

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

My mom's unattainable expectation: cleaning my room without being told 47 times.

Perfect work-life balance remains unattainable for most people.

😄 Fun example

His unattainable crush: the girl who doesn't even know his name exists.

World peace may seem unattainable, but we must keep trying.

📚Related Words

Synonyms

unreachableimpossibleunobtainableinaccessiblebeyond reach

Antonyms

attainableachievablereachable

Related

elusivedistantremotechallengingambitious

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