unquantifiable

IPA/ʌnˌkwɒn.tɪˈfaɪ.ə.bəl/
IPA/ˌʌn.kwɑːn.t̬əˈfaɪ.ə.bəl/

unquantifiable — 形容詞

  • unquantifiablepositive
  • more unquantifiablecomparative
  • most unquantifiablesuperlative

1. describes a quality, effect, or value that is too complex, personal, or subjecti

1.形容詞C1
釋義

無法量化

無法用數字或數量表達或衡量

describes a quality, effect, or value that is too complex, personal, or subjective to be counted or assigned a numeric value — for example, a teacher’s influence on a student’s future, or the emotional worth of a family heirloom.

例句

The true value of Salma's volunteer work was unquantifiable, though clearly enormous.

Salma 的志工工作所帶來的真正價值雖然極其巨大，卻是無法量化的。

collocation: unquantifiable value

Camille said the joy her grandchildren brought her was unquantifiable.

Camille 說孫子們帶給她的喜悅是無法用數字衡量的。

同義詞
  • immeasurable

    broader term; can describe physical vastness (immeasurable distance) as well as abstract magnitude, while 'unquantifiable' focuses specifically on numeric expression

  • incalculable

    emphasizes outcomes too vast or complex to compute, often with negative connotations (incalculable damage, incalculable loss)

  • inestimable

    focuses on worth or value that is too high to properly assess; less common than 'unquantifiable' in everyday usage

  • intangible

    shifts emphasis to something that cannot be physically touched or clearly defined, though it may still be measured in other ways

反義詞
  • quantifiable

    direct opposite; capable of being expressed as a number or amount

  • measurable

    broader opposite; able to be measured in any way, not only numerically

文法句型

be + unquantifiable

unquantifiable + noun (attributive)

用法筆記

Frequently found in academic, business, and environmental writing. Most common with abstract nouns such as 'value', 'loss', 'benefit', 'impact', and 'cost'. Typically used both predicatively (the loss was unquantifiable) and attributively (an unquantifiable risk).

常見錯誤

❌The cause of the fire remains unquantifiable.
✅The cause of the fire remains unknown.
💡'unquantifiable' refers to something that cannot be measured or assigned a number, not to something that is simply not known or unidentified.
❌This recipe has an unquantifiable amount of sugar.
✅This recipe has an unknown amount of sugar.
💡'unquantifiable' is used for things that are inherently difficult to measure (like emotion or quality), not for things that could be measured but simply haven't been.