inability
ˌɪnəˈbɪləti
inabilities
Definition Synonyms

Definition of inability - Reverso English Dictionary

Noun

mental or physicallack of ability to do something, mentally or physically
  • His inability to walk or concentrate worried his family.
  • Her inability to speak left her isolated.
  • Their inability to meet the deadline caused the contract breach.
disability incapability unfitness
Add a suggestion |

Expressions with inability

💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
state of not having enough money to meet required payments
The court considered his inability to pay when deciding the fine.

Origin of inability

Latin, in (not) + habilis (able)

Terms with inability included in their meaning

💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
cannotaux.v.
ability
express inability or impossibility to do something
defeat
admit defeat or inability to continue
honesty
admitting inability to be dishonest
couldn'taux.v.
time
express inability to do something in the past
emotionally affected
feeling annoyed and upset because of inability to change or achieve something
emotional state
feeling of upset or annoyance from inability to achieve something
inability difficulty
seem to be unable to do something or achieve something
behavior
show inability to stay calm or motionless due to restlessness

View all translations of inability

Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
  1. French:incapacité, ...
  2. German:Unfähigkeit, ...
  3. Italian:incapacità, ...
  4. Spanish:incapacidad, ...
  5. Portuguese:incapacidade, ...
  6. Chinese:能力不足, ...
  7. Japanese:不能, ...
  8. Arabic:عجز, ...
  9. Hebrew:אִי יְכוֹלֶת, ...
  10. Russian:неспособность, ...
  11. Ukrainian:нездатність, ...
  12. Hindi:असमर्थता, ...
Browse the dictionary entries starting with “i”:

Discover how Reverso redefines the dictionary

Go beyond “simple words”

Get more than a simple definition

Go from understanding to mastery