Standard Lemma guide

unputdownable

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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /(ˌ)ʌnpʊtˈdaʊnəb(ə)l/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˌənˌpʊtˈdaʊnəb(ə)l/

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of a person, etc.: difficult or impossible to put down (in various senses).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of a book or other written work: so captivating or engrossing that one cannot bear to stop reading it.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal, specifically

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: page-turning

Antonyms: putdownable, put-downable

History

Etymology

From un- + put down + -able.

Across languages

Translations

9 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Northern Kurdish: berxweder — difficult or impossible to put down
  • Northern Kurdish: neşkê — difficult or impossible to put down
  • Northern Kurdish: xweragir — difficult or impossible to put down
  • Serbo-Croatian: ne može se ispustiti iz ruku — difficult or impossible to put down
  • Estonian: käestpandamatu — of a book, etc.: so captivating or engrossing that one cannot bear to stop reading it
  • Greek: ενδιαφέρων (endiaféron) — of a book, etc.: so captivating or engrossing that one cannot bear to stop reading it
  • Hungarian: letehetetlen — of a book, etc.: so captivating or engrossing that one cannot bear to stop reading it
  • Northern Kurdish: destjêvenebar — of a book, etc.: so captivating or engrossing that one cannot bear to stop reading it
  • Serbo-Croatian: ne može se ispustiti iz ruku — of a book, etc.: so captivating or engrossing that one cannot bear to stop reading it