unsustainable
gb/ˌʌnsəstˈeɪnəbəl/ us/ˌʌnsəstˈeɪnəbəl/
B2
Inglês
Aceções
0 aceções
adjective
B2
property
1
not able to continue long-term
If something is unsustainable, it cannot continue for a long time.
Padrão de uso:
unsustainable [level/rate/pace/pressure/amount]
Erro comum:
Do not confuse unsustainable (cannot continue) with unstable (likely to change or collapse).
Sinónimos
unmanageable (emphasizes that it is too hard to handle or control.)
|
unviable (emphasizes that it cannot work successfully in practice.)
Antónimos
sustainable (able to continue over time without causing serious problems.)
|
manageable (able to be handled without excessive strain.)
Colocações
unsustainable pace
|unsustainable levels
|unsustainable rate
|unsustainable growth
|unsustainable pressure
|unsustainable workload
|unsustainable demands
|unsustainable situation
|unsustainable approach
|unsustainable trend
Temas
work
|society
|health
|business
Exemplos
- Working seventy hours a week is unsustainable for most people.
- The team’s current pace is unsustainable, and injuries are starting to rise.
- Raising prices every month is an unsustainable strategy.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- This schedule is unsustainable.
- The pressure became unsustainable.
adjective
C1
property
2
environmentally damaging long-term
If a way of living or producing is unsustainable, it harms nature and cannot continue without causing damage.
Padrão de uso:
unsustainable [practice/model/consumption/production/agriculture]
Erro comum:
Unsustainable does not mean 'recyclable' or 'green'; it means the opposite of sustainable.
Sinónimos
environmentally damaging (explicitly focuses on harm to the environment.)
|
destructive (stronger; suggests severe harm or loss.)
Antónimos
sustainable (designed to avoid environmental harm and to last long-term.)
|
eco-friendly (emphasizes being better for the environment.)
Colocações
unsustainable consumption
|unsustainable farming
|unsustainable practices
|unsustainable land use
|unsustainable resource use
|unsustainable extraction
|unsustainable fishing
|unsustainable production
|unsustainable development
|unsustainable lifestyle
Temas
environment
|climate
|science
|politics
Exemplos
- Relying on coal for electricity is unsustainable in the long run.
- The report highlights unsustainable water use in the region.
- Many scientists warn that current consumption patterns are unsustainable.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- Plastic waste is unsustainable.
- This kind of farming is unsustainable.
adjective
business
C1
property
3
not affordable or supportable financially
If something is financially unsustainable, it costs too much to continue.
Padrão de uso:
unsustainable [costs/expenses/debt/deficit/spending]
Erro comum:
Unsustainable is often used about costs or debt; it is not the same as 'unprofitable' (which may still be temporary).
Sinónimos
unaffordable (focuses on a person or group not being able to pay.)
|
unviable (broader; suggests the whole plan or model cannot succeed.)
Antónimos
affordable (able to be paid for without serious difficulty.)
|
viable (able to work successfully, including financially.)
Colocações
unsustainable debt
|unsustainable deficit
|unsustainable spending
|unsustainable costs
|unsustainable expenses
|unsustainable subsidies
|unsustainable budget
|unsustainable losses
|unsustainable rent increases
|unsustainable price rises
Temas
business
|economics
|government
|finance
Exemplos
- With interest rates rising, the country’s debt has become unsustainable.
- The free-shipping policy was unsustainable once fuel prices increased.
- Experts say the current healthcare spending trajectory is unsustainable.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- This plan is unsustainable for our budget.
adjective
formal
C1
property
4
not defensible or logically supportable
If an argument is unsustainable, it cannot be proved or defended.
Padrão de uso:
unsustainable [claim/argument/position/assumption]
Erro comum:
In this sense, unsustainable is close to untenable; it is about ideas, not time or resources.
Sinónimos
untenable (very close meaning; common in formal writing.)
|
indefensible (stronger; suggests it cannot reasonably be defended.)
Antónimos
tenable (able to be defended or justified.)
|
well-founded (supported by good evidence or reasons.)
Colocações
unsustainable claim
|unsustainable argument
|unsustainable position
|unsustainable assumption
|unsustainable interpretation
|unsustainable conclusion
|unsustainable theory
|unsustainable allegation
Temas
education
|law
|writing
|politics
Exemplos
- The judge ruled that the interpretation was unsustainable.
- Her argument is unsustainable because it relies on false data.
- The report calls the company’s assumptions unsustainable.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- That claim is unsustainable.
Gramática
Forma de dicionário
unsustainable
IPA
GB/ˌʌnsəstˈeɪnəbəl/
US/ˌʌnsəstˈeɪnəbəl/
Sílabas e acento
un - sus - tain - able (4 sílabas)
Stress on 3rd syllable (tain)
Formas da palavra
Adjective
- Base: unsustainable
- Comparative: unsustainabler
- Superlative: unsustainablest
Expressões
at an unsustainable pace
1/ˈæt ən ˌʌnsəstˈeɪnəbəl pˈeɪs/
fixed phrase
too fast to keep up
Too fast to continue for a long time.
Exemplos
- Prices are rising at an unsustainable pace.
- The startup was hiring at an unsustainable pace.
- She was training at an unsustainable pace and got injured.
environmentally unsustainable
1/ɪnvˌaɪɹənmˈɛntəli ˌʌnsəstˈeɪnəbəl/
fixed phrase
harmful to the environment
Bad for the environment and cannot continue long-term.
Exemplos
- Many single-use products are environmentally unsustainable.
- The committee called the plan environmentally unsustainable.
- They redesigned the packaging because the old version was environmentally unsustainable.
unsustainable business model
1/ˌʌnsəstˈeɪnəbəl bˈɪznɪs mˈɑdəl/
fixed phrase
business
business plan that won’t last
A business model that cannot work for long.
Exemplos
- Investors worried that the company had an unsustainable business model.
- Cheap prices were supported by an unsustainable business model based on debt.
- The new regulations exposed how unsustainable the business model was.
unsustainable debt
1/ˌʌnsəstˈeɪnəbəl dˈɛt/
fixed phrase
business
debt that cannot be repaid
Debt that is too large to pay back.
Exemplos
- The IMF warned that the country was approaching unsustainable debt.
- Many households took on unsustainable debt to cover basic expenses.
- The company’s unsustainable debt forced it to renegotiate with lenders.
unsustainable growth
1/ˌʌnsəstˈeɪnəbəl ɡɹˈoʊθ/
fixed phrase
growth that cannot last
Growth that will stop or cause problems later.
Exemplos
- Analysts think the housing market is showing signs of unsustainable growth.
- The city’s unsustainable growth is straining water supplies.
- Unsustainable growth can hide serious weaknesses in a business model.
unsustainable workload
1/ˌʌnsəstˈeɪnəbəl wˈɚklˌoʊd/
fixed phrase
too much work to continue
Too much work to keep doing for a long time.
Exemplos
- Nurses reported an unsustainable workload during the winter surge.
- An unsustainable workload is a major cause of staff turnover.
- He asked for help because his workload had become unsustainable.