unapproachable
Americanadjective
-
not capable of being approached; remote; unreachable.
an unapproachable spot; an unapproachable person.
- Synonyms:
- cold, austere, distant, aloof, inaccessible
-
impossible to equal or rival.
unapproachable mastery of her art.
adjective
-
discouraging intimacy, friendliness, etc; aloof
-
inaccessible
-
not to be rivalled
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unapproachable
First recorded in 1575–85; un- 1 + approachable
Explanation
When someone is unapproachable, you won’t feel comfortable going up to the person and starting a conversation. If a place is unapproachable, it’s really hard to get there. You’ll notice the word approach is in unapproachable. Approach means “move toward” or “go up to.” When something or someone is unapproachable, that thing or person is hard to get close to. When a place is unapproachable, it’s probably remote or difficult to reach, like a fortress at the top of a cliff. When a person is unapproachable, he or she probably seems unfriendly.
Vocabulary lists containing unapproachable
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.
And the rise of AirPods means we’re all tuned into our own little worlds, appearing unapproachable for conversation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 25, 2026
Variety described it as "dutiful fan service, sure to satisfy legions of cultists cosplaying in tweed, but not unapproachable to viewers who aren't entirely au fait with the show".
From BBC ● Mar. 5, 2026
I looked online and there were so many comments about how much people hated my hair, and how it made me just seem so unapproachable and pretentious.
From Salon ● Mar. 13, 2025
"Our continued collaboration with the So lab and their expertise with microscope development has enabled in vivo studies that are unapproachable using conventional, out-of-the-box two photon microscopes," she added.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 4, 2024
Several times work stopped altogether, for what reasons I do not know, while Kenny and Selvam strode about the deserted site in exasperation, dark as thunder, unapproachable.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
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.
