unanswerable

IPA/ʌnˈɑːnsərəbl/
KK[ˌʌnˈænsɚəbəl]IPA/ʌnˈænsərəbl/

unanswerable — adjective

  • unanswerablepositive
  • more unanswerablecomparative
  • most unanswerablesuperlative

1. A question, problem, or mystery that is unanswerable cannot be answered or solve

1.形容詞B2
釋義

A question, problem, or mystery that is unanswerable cannot be answered or solved because no correct answer exists or can ever be found.

例句

Why we exist is an unanswerable question that every generation asks.

unanswerable question — fixed expression for deep philosophical topics

Tara asked her grandfather an unanswerable question about death, and he said nobody truly knows.

同義詞
  • insoluble

    used more for practical problems or chemical substances that cannot dissolve

  • unsolvable

    everyday synonym; common for puzzles and riddles

  • imponderable

    very formal; describes matters too complex to evaluate properly

反義詞

文法句型

unanswerable + noun (question/mystery/puzzle)

be + unanswerable

用法筆記

Often paired with questions about existence, faith, and the distant past. Distinguish from sense 2: here the focus is on absence of any answer, not on certainty. A question like 'What is the meaning of life?' is unanswerable in this sense; a mathematical proof can be unanswerable only in sense 2.

常見錯誤

❌The exam had two unanswerable questions that nobody could solve.
✅The exam had two impossible questions that nobody could solve.
💡exam questions typically have a correct answer even if it is very hard; 'unanswerable' implies no known answer exists at all, not that it is merely difficult.

2. An argument, claim, or piece of evidence described as unanswerable rests on such

2.形容詞C1
釋義

An argument, claim, or piece of evidence described as unanswerable rests on such solid proof that no reasonable person would try to dispute it.

例句

Mei made an unanswerable argument that won over even the committee members who opposed her.

unanswerable argument — noun pattern for formal reasoning

The lawyer called the DNA report unanswerable and urged a plea deal for her client.

object complement: call + noun + unanswerable

同義詞
  • incontrovertible

    more formal, suggesting absolute certainty in a legal or scholarly sense

  • irrefutable

    very close in meaning; emphasises that any attempt to dispute it will fail

  • undeniable

    slightly broader; can be used for facts or emotions, not only reasoned arguments

反義詞

文法句型

unanswerable + noun (argument/case/proof)

be + unanswerable

用法筆記

Subject is usually a formal claim (argument, case, proof, evidence, logic). Not used for personal opinions or matters of taste — your friend's favourite film may be 'bad' in your view, but that is debatable, not unanswerable.