What does undrinkable mean?
Undrinkable means not fit to drink, especially because a liquid is unpleasant, contaminated, spoiled, or otherwise unsuitable for consumption. It is commonly used for water, coffee, tea, and other beverages, and it can describe the drink itself or the experience of drinking it: “The coffee was undrinkable.” The word often suggests an extreme failure of taste or quality, but it can also be used more neutrally when safety or suitability is the issue. Although it may occasionally appear in figurative language, its everyday meaning is literal. Undrinkable is especially useful when a precise word such as spoiled, unsafe, or unpalatable would be too narrow: it gathers these impressions into a direct, memorable description. As an adjective, it takes the usual forms in English, including “an undrinkable drink” and “completely undrinkable.”
adjectiveNot drinkable; too unpleasant, unsafe, or otherwise unfit to drink.
- Not fit for drinking; too unpleasant, unsafe, or otherwise unsuitable as a drink.
"The warm, undrinkable coffee was left untouched."
"The water looked clean but had an unpleasant smell and was undrinkable."
"He was served an undrinkable cup of tea and asked for a replacement."
When a drink is so bad that even calling it 'coffee' sounds generous, it has become undrinkable.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does undrinkable come from?
Undrinkable was formed in English using the negative prefix un-, the root drink, and the suffix -able, meaning “capable of being” or “fit to be.” The pattern parallels drinkable, while the related form drunk preserves the same verbal root. The English root drink comes from Old English drincan, and the suffix -able is historically associated with Latin -abilis.
How undrinkable is actually used
Usually used before a noun or as a predicative adjective. It describes a drink's quality or suitability, not a person's inability to drink.