Standard Lemma guide

unpayable

adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 N P EY1 AH0 B AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

That cannot be paid.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of a mine etc.: not able to yield profit; unprofitable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English un- English pay Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *-dhlom Proto-Indo-European *-dhlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English payable English unpayable From un- + payable.

Across languages

Translations

9 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: impagable — that cannot be paid
  • Esperanto: nepagebla — that cannot be paid
  • Finnish: maksamaton — that cannot be paid
  • French: impayable — that cannot be paid
  • German: unbezahlbar — that cannot be paid
  • Portuguese: impagável — that cannot be paid
  • Russian: неоплатный (neoplatnyj) — that cannot be paid
  • Spanish: impagable — that cannot be paid
  • Swedish: obetalbar — that cannot be paid