unobtainable
Britishadjective
Explanation
Whether it’s an unobtainable career in the NBA, an unobtainable friendship with the Queen of England, or an unobtainable new Japanese video game, the word unobtainable refers to something that you just can’t get. Unobtainable can describe anything that you can’t get: big or small. The word is often applied to abstract things such as dreams or goals that are out of reach, but it can also describe people. That desirable person who doesn’t love you back? Unobtainable. It can also describe everyday items that can’t be acquired, like the hottest toy of the year that’s unobtainable because it has sold out in every store.
Vocabulary lists containing unobtainable
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A report this month by the US-China Business Council found that ongoing Chinese export restrictions have made some rare earths nearly unobtainable.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
"I mean, come on, it's like an unobtainable dream."
From Barron's ● Mar. 25, 2026
And, of course, celebrity is this lifestyle that by definition is unobtainable.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2025
But even for white Americans who supposedly are expected to be insulated from such issues, the American dream is still unobtainable.
From Salon ● Jan. 19, 2024
Iron was even more precious, but it was unobtainable.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
