unreliable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unreliable
Explanation
Someone unreliable can't be trusted to do something. Things can be unreliable too, like a bike with a wobbly wheel. The word "rely" is a clue to what unreliable means. When you can rely on something, you can count in it — it's reliable. On the other hand, you'd better not count on an unreliable person. People can be unreliable because they're dishonest, always late, bad at their job, or just inconsistent. Things can be unreliable because they're broken or old. A train schedule can be unreliable if the trains are never on time. Unfortunately, there's a lot of stuff in life that's unreliable, so be careful.
Vocabulary lists containing unreliable
STAAR English I: Elements of Literature
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STAAR English II: Elements of Literature 1
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Point of View
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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.
Making matters more complicated, larvae from different longhorn beetle species often look remarkably similar, making visual identification unreliable.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026
It has become more erratic and unreliable since the pandemic, at least on first read.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026
In the run-up to its Mumbai debut, grey market platforms showed a premium of around 22 percent for Jio shares, although experts caution that such unofficial indicators can be unreliable predictors of early trading.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
People who are significantly anaemic may look pale, he explained, while fatigue can contribute to dark circles, but these visual signs are "subjective and unreliable".
From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026
"It’s just that the postal system is so unreliable these days, and I'm trying to track down an old friend through a mutual acquaintance. I want to make sure it actually gets there."
From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
