Unattainable
/ˌʌnəˈteɪnəbl/
adjectiveB2
Definition
Unattainable describes a goal, object, or idea that is impossible to reach or achieve. It means no matter what effort you make, you cannot get it or make it happen. People often use it to talk about dreams or things that feel too difficult or far away.
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See It in Action
Impossible to achieve or reach
- •The dream of flying to the moon was once unattainable for most people.
- •Some goals seem unattainable without a lot of help or luck.
- •For many, perfect happiness feels unattainable.
Too difficult or out of reach in a practical sense
- •The price of that car is unattainable for most buyers.
- •His demands were unattainable, so the deal failed.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "unattainable" like "hard" or "impossible," but stronger—it means you cannot get it at all
- ✓Picture a star very high in the sky that you can see but cannot touch or climb to
- ✓It's the feeling when you want something very much but know it is out of your reach, like a dream that feels too big
- ✓Sounds like "un-AT-tain-able" → imagine trying to "attain" (get) something but it stays "un-" (not) reachable no matter what
- ✓Think of fairy tales where a hero tries to reach a castle on a cloud, but it is always too high to get
- ✓NOT like "difficult" (you can try and maybe succeed), "unattainable" means no way to get it
- ✓NOT like "far" (just far away), "unattainable" means impossible to reach even if you go far
Try Other Words
- •Unreachable: cannot be reached physically or metaphorically (Use when focusing on physical distance or access)
- •Impossible: cannot be done or achieved (Use when emphasizing total inability)
- •Out of reach: too far or difficult to get (Use in informal speech about things hard to get)
Unboxing
- •Prefix: "un-" means "not" or "opposite of"
- •Root: "attain" means to reach or achieve something
- •Suffix: "-able" means "can be done"
- •Together, "unattainable" means "not able to be attained"
- •From Latin: "attain" comes from Latin "attingere" meaning "to reach"
- •The word developed in English to describe things that cannot be reached or achieved
- •Today, it is used in many contexts: goals, objects, prices, dreams
Reflect & Connect
•Can a goal that seems unattainable today become attainable in the future? How?
•How do you feel when you face something unattainable? Does it change your motivation or attitude?
Fill in the blanks
1.The top shelf was ___ because it was too high for anyone to reach without a ladder.
2.Many people think perfect success is ___, so they set smaller goals instead.
3.When a dream feels ___, people might feel sad or give up trying.
4.Unlike difficult tasks, unattainable goals cannot be ___ no matter how hard you try.
5.The idea of living on another planet used to be ___, but now it seems more possible.
6.Prices for luxury items are often ___ for most customers because of their high cost.
7.She worked hard but realized that some things are simply ___ and must be accepted.