unaffordable

American  

[uhn-uh-fawrd-uh-buhl] / ʌn əˈfɔrd ə bəl /

adjective

1. too high in price to afford.

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Explanation

If something is unaffordable, it's too expensive. A house that costs millions of dollars is unaffordable for almost everyone. This adjective often describes things that cost too much money for the average person, like unaffordable rents in a particular city or unaffordable health care. When you can afford something, it's within financial reach; you can manage to purchase it. Unaffordable things are priced too high for your budget or bank account, like those ultra-rare sneakers you covet.

Example Sentences

As home prices nationwide have soared to near record and often unaffordable levels, Austin’s housing market has seen supplies increase, prices decline, and sales rise.

From Barron's • Jun. 1, 2026

But for many, Los Angeles has become hopelessly unaffordable, which cast a shadow over so much.

From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2026

Private long-term-care insurance is unaffordable for most Americans.

From MarketWatch • May 13, 2026

On the other, life has grown increasingly unaffordable for Ruiz, a single mother who has cut out her weekly fast-food meals and collected as many coupons as she can find.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

The January price liberalization and a blossoming of private vendors filled shelves across the country with previously scarce food items and consumer goods, but wages lagged behind inflation, making such goods unaffordable for many consumers.

From The 1993 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency