unilluminating

IPA/ˌʌn.ɪˈluː.mɪ.neɪ.tɪŋ/
IPA/ˌʌn.ɪˈluː.mə.neɪ.t̬ɪŋ/

unilluminating — adjective

  • unilluminatingpositive
  • more unilluminatingcomparative
  • most unilluminatingsuperlative

1. not helping to make a subject easier to understand or learn about; giving no use

1.形容詞C1
釋義

not helping to make a subject easier to understand or learn about; giving no useful or new information.

例句

The professor's explanation was so unilluminating that most students left the lecture hall still confused.

adjective describing explanations, lectures

After reading three unilluminating articles about the new tax law, Minh still could not explain it to his clients.

同義詞
  • uninformative

    more common and less formal; suggests a lack of details rather than a failure to clarify

  • unrevealing

    emphasises that something hides or does not disclose what was expected

  • obscure

    stronger; implies the information is actively hard to follow, not just unhelpful

反義詞
  • illuminating

    the direct opposite; sheds light on the subject and makes it clear

  • informative

    provides plenty of useful facts and details

  • enlightening

    gives new understanding that changes how you see a topic

用法筆記

Used especially in academic or critical contexts where you expect information to make a topic clearer. Frequently modifies nouns such as explanation, report, discussion, lecture, or article.

常見錯誤

❌The lecture was unilluminating — I did not learn anything new.
✅The lecture was unilluminating
💡I learned nothing that helped me understand the topic better.' — The word carries a stronger sense of 'failing to clarify' than just 'not new'. Use it when the information should have helped but did not.