Meaning & use

unattainable

adjective·Academic

Not able to be reached, achieved, or obtained, no matter how much effort is made.

See it in a sentence

Critics said the company's growth targets were simply unattainable within a single year.

For most students, a perfect score felt like an unattainable goal.

A note on using this word

Unattainable often describes goals or standards, rather than physical objects that are merely out of reach.

Words with a similar meaning

unachievableimpossible

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

attainableachievable

Make it your own

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