Dictionary

unplayable en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree English un- Proto-West Germanic *plehan Old English pleġan Proto-West Germanic *plegō Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ti Proto-Germanic *-ōną Proto-West Germanic *-ōn Proto-West Germanic *plegōn Old English plegian Middle English pleyen Proto-West Germanic *plegō Old English plega Middle English pleye English play Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom Proto-Italic *-ðlom Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English playable English unplayable From un- + playable.

Meanings

1. (of a musical work) That cannot be played; that is impossible or unreasonable (too difficult, etc.) to play. ▸ That cannot be played, that is too hard too play.
2. (of a video game) That cannot be played; that is impossible or unreasonable (too difficult, etc.) to play. ▸ That cannot be played, or is so tedious, complicated, buggy, etc., as to discourage or preclude playing.
   • Unoriginal, unplayable, overpriced and generally unappealing. 1988, Lazer Tag (game review in Your Sinclair issue 32, August 1988)
3. (of an audio or visual recording) That cannot be played; that is impossible or unreasonable (too difficult, etc.) to play. ▸ Unable to be played on specified equipment, or at all.
   • Apparently the Edison company failed to consider, or chose to ignore, the fact that their records were made using the “hill and dale” vertical-cut recording groove and therefore unplayable on standard (and much cheaper) gramophones […] 2010, Mark Berresford, That's Got 'Em!: The Life and Music of Wilbur C. Sweatman, page 143:
4. (of a ball, qualifier:shuttlecock; player; shuttlecock; player) That cannot be played; that is impossible or unreasonable (too difficult, etc.) to play. ▸ Impossible to play or to defend against.

Forms

Deriveds

unplayably · unplayableness

Translations (6)

nl onbespeelbaar (that cannot be played) · sv ospelbar (that cannot be played) · fi soittokelvoton (that cannot be played) · fr injouable (that cannot be played) · fi pelauskelvoton (that cannot be played) · pl niegrywalny (that cannot be played)