inability

noun
UK: /ˌɪn.əˈbɪl.ə.ti/
US: /ˌɪn.əˈbɪl.ə.ti/

  1. The state of not being able to do something.

    1. His inability to swim worried his parents.
    2. The company's inability to adapt to the new market led to its decline.

  2. A lack of power, skill, or opportunity to do something.

    1. My inability to focus made studying hard.
    2. Her inability to speak the language fluently hindered her job search.

  3. A specific instance where someone cannot do something.

    1. His inability to solve the puzzle was frustrating.
    2. The team's inability to score in the final minutes cost them the game.

Synonyms

incapacity failure weakness impotence

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "inability" in English means: The state of not being able to do something., A lack of power, skill, or opportunity to do something., A specific instance where someone cannot do something..

The phonetic transcription of "inability" is /ˌɪn.əˈbɪl.ə.ti/ in British English and /ˌɪn.əˈbɪl.ə.ti/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "inability": incapacity, failure, weakness, impotence.

Example usage of "inability": "His inability to swim worried his parents.". More examples on the page.