unable

/ʌnˈneɪbl/ adj.
标准词条 CET-4CET-6IELTS
一句话记住

不能的；无法做到的

释义与例句

adj. 不能的；无法做到的
not having the ability, opportunity, or permission to do something
  1. She was unable to attend the meeting because of illness.
    她因病无法出席会议。
  2. The two sides were unable to reach an agreement.
    双方未能达成协议。
展开其余 1 条例句
  1. Without a key, we were unable to open the laboratory door.
    没有钥匙，我们无法打开实验室的门。

词源与构词

记忆钩子 unable 后接带 to 的不定式：be unable to do，不说 unable of doing。

词族与关联词

词族（同一词根派生出的不同词性或形式）
  • inability 无能；无法
    名词，常用 inability to do something 表示缺乏做某事的能力或条件。
  • able 能够的；有能力的
    unable 去掉否定前缀后的对应形容词，常用 be able to do。
同义词
  • incapable 无能力的；不能的
    unable 通常接 to do，表示某次或某条件下不能做；incapable 常接 of doing，更强调缺乏能力，语气也可更强。
    He seems incapable of making a quick decision. 他似乎无法迅速作出决定。
反义词
  • able 能够的
    be unable to do 与 be able to do 意义相反，两者都后接带 to 的不定式。
    After treatment, she was able to walk without support. 治疗后，她能够无需支撑地行走。
常见搭配
  • unable to attend 无法出席
    The speaker was unable to attend, so her colleague gave the talk. 演讲者无法出席，因此由她的同事发表演讲。
  • remain unable to 仍然无法……
    Many residents remain unable to return to their homes. 许多居民仍无法返回家园。
  • feel unable to 觉得自己无法……
    He felt unable to express his concerns in public. 他觉得自己无法公开表达担忧。