unreasonable
gb/ʌnɹˈiznəbəl/ us/ʌnɹˈiznəbəl/
B1
English
~ 6800
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B1
property
1
not fair or sensible
Not fair or not sensible; not willing to listen to good reasons.
Usage pattern:
[someone]/[something] is unreasonable (to [do something])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"very not reasonable"* instead of *"very unreasonable"*. Use the single adjective *"unreasonable"* instead of adding *"not"* to *"reasonable"* when you mean strongly unfair or not sensible.
Synonyms
unfair (Focuses on a lack of justice or equal treatment, without always implying a lack of logic.)
|
irrational (Stronger and more formal; stresses not using clear or logical thinking.)
|
illogical (Emphasizes that the reasons or argument do not follow clear rules of logic.)
Antonyms
reasonable (Suggests being fair, sensible, and willing to listen to good reasons.)
|
fair (Stresses justice and treating people in an equal, honest way.)
Collocations
unreasonable demand
|unreasonable request
|unreasonable expectation
|unreasonable behavior
|be unreasonable
|unreasonable to expect
Themes
daily life
|emotions
|relationships
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I think you're being unreasonable; she really did her best.
- It's unreasonable to expect the staff to work all weekend without extra pay.
- He becomes very unreasonable when anyone disagrees with him.
- The landlord is being unreasonable about allowing small pets in the apartment.
- Many people felt the company’s decision to fire her was completely unreasonable.
Learner examples
- My boss was unreasonable and did not listen to my problem.
- It is unreasonable to ask a child to stay quiet for three hours.
- She gets unreasonable when she is very tired.
- I told him his rules were unreasonable and too strict.
adjective
B2
property
2
too much; excessive
Too high, too big, or too strong to be fair or normal.
Usage pattern:
unreasonable [price/amount/level/delay]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *"too much"* where *"unreasonable"* is more natural, e.g. *"a too much price"*. In this case, use *"an unreasonable price"* or *"the price is too high"*.
Synonyms
excessive (More formal; focuses on something being more than is necessary or acceptable.)
|
outrageous (Stronger and emotional; suggests shock and strong disapproval at how extreme something is.)
Antonyms
reasonable (Implies that the amount, price, or level is fair and acceptable.)
|
moderate (Emphasizes being within normal or middle limits, not too high or too low.)
Collocations
unreasonable price
|unreasonable amount of
|unreasonable delay
|unreasonable level of
|unreasonable risk
|unreasonable noise
Themes
money
|business
|law
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- They charged an unreasonable price for such a simple repair.
- We had to wait an unreasonable amount of time to see the doctor.
- The neighbors play music at an unreasonable volume late at night.
- The contract placed an unreasonable burden on small businesses.
- The judge ruled that the delay in the trial was unreasonable.
Learner examples
- The hotel asks an unreasonable price for one night.
- We spent an unreasonable amount of money on that dinner.
- There was an unreasonable delay at the airport.
- The noise from the party was unreasonable after midnight.
Grammar
Dictionary form
unreasonable
IPA
GB/ʌnɹˈiznəbəl/
US/ʌnɹˈiznəbəl/
Syllables & stress
un - reas - on - able (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (reas)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: unreasonable
Word family
Core family
Negative and opposite forms
unreasonably
adverb
Related words
reasoning
noun
reasonableness
noun
Expressions
unreasonable search and seizure
1/ʌnɹˈiznəbəl sˈɚt͡ʃ ˈænd sˈiʒɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
illegal government search or taking
A search of a person or place, or taking of property, by the government or police that the law does not allow because there is not a good enough reason.
Examples
- The court found that the police conduct amounted to an unreasonable search and seizure.
- Citizens are protected from unreasonable search and seizure by the constitution.
- The lawyer argued that the evidence was obtained through an unreasonable search and seizure.