unsustainable
Unsustainable (adj) means not able to be kept up or maintained over time, especially without causing harm. Example: “The company's spending was unsustainable and it went bankrupt within a year.”
adj
1
Not able to be kept up or maintained over time, especially without causing harm.
"The company's spending was unsustainable and it went bankrupt within a year."
"Overfishing has pushed the industry toward unsustainable practices."
How to use unsustainable
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishCan't continue like this without something breaking down — often used about the environment, finances, or workload.
Common pairings
unsustainable growth
unsustainable debt
environmentally unsustainable
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Word forms
- Plural
- unsustainables
- Comparative
- more unsustainable
- Superlative
- most unsustainable
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The company's spending was _____ and it went bankrupt within a year.
Rhymes for unsustainable
See all rhymes for unsustainable →Frequently asked questions
What does “unsustainable” mean?
The word “unsustainable” means not able to be kept up or maintained over time, especially without causing harm. In plain terms, can't continue like this without something breaking down — often used about the environment, finances, or workload.
How do you use “unsustainable” in a sentence?
Here is “unsustainable” used in a sentence: “The company's spending was unsustainable and it went bankrupt within a year.”
What part of speech is “unsustainable”?
“Unsustainable” is an adjective.
Is “unsustainable” a common word?
“Unsustainable” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.
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