unreliable

[uhn-ri-lahy-uh-buhl]

adjective

1. not reliable; not to be relied or depended on.

   Synonyms: untrustworthy, irresponsible, undependable

unreliable

/ ˌʌnrɪˈlaɪəbəl /

adjective

1. not reliable; untrustworthy

   an unreliable witness

Other Word Forms

• unreliability noun
• unreliableness noun
• unreliably adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of unreliable¹

First recorded in 1830–40; un- ¹ + reliable

Example Sentences

Those moments could be invaluable as the Dodgers enter the playoffs, giving Roberts a level of confidence to push his likely Game 1 starter and cover for what has been an unreliable bullpen.

From Los Angeles Times

But those multimillion-dollar views come with a problem no amount of money can fix: The homes are built on some of the shiftiest and most unreliable soil in California.

From Los Angeles Times

Behind inconsistent offense and unreliable bullpen pitching, a big division lead dwindled.

From Los Angeles Times

Earlswood had the sixth worst cancellation rate of any train station in Britain in the past year, excluding a small number of stations with unreliable or incomplete data.

From BBC

Given the way things have been going for the Dodgers’ unreliable relief corps — which entered the night with a 5.65 ERA in September — anything more than a few innings has felt like a big ask.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• capricious 
• deceptive 
• dubious 
• false 
• fickle 
• inaccurate 
• irresponsible 
• treacherous 
• tricky 
• uncertain 
• unsound 
• unstable 
• untrustworthy