Anh

unreliable

gb/ˌʌnɹɪlˈaɪəbəl/ us/ˌʌnɹɪlˈaɪəbəl/
B2 Anh
Các nghĩa
0 nghĩa
adjective B2 property
1

not dependable as a person

Someone who is unreliable often does not do what they promise.

Mẫu sử dụng: unreliable [person/employee/friend]
Lỗi thường gặp:
Learners sometimes use unreliable to mean 'unavailable' or 'busy'; it mainly means 'not dependable'.
Từ đồng nghĩa
undependable (Direct synonym; emphasizes lack of consistency.) | untrustworthy (Suggests you cannot trust their honesty, not just their punctuality.) | inconsistent (Focuses on changing behavior rather than character.)
Từ trái nghĩa
reliable (Can be trusted to do what is expected.) | dependable (Emphasizes steady support and responsibility.)
Cụm từ đi kèm
an unreliable person |an unreliable employee |an unreliable friend |highly unreliable |rather unreliable |prove unreliable |become unreliable |unreliable at work |unreliable with money |unreliable in a crisis
Chủ đề
relationships |work |daily_life
Ví dụ
  • He's talented, but he's unreliable and often misses deadlines.
  • I stopped asking her for help because she’s too unreliable.
  • They need someone reliable, not an unreliable partner who disappears for days.
Ví dụ cho người học
  • My bus driver is unreliable.
  • He is unreliable, so I don’t trust him.
adjective B2 property
2

not working consistently

Something unreliable does not work well all the time.

Mẫu sử dụng: unreliable [car/machine/service/connection]
Lỗi thường gặp:
Unreliable describes performance over time; for a single failure, learners may prefer 'broken' or 'not working'.
Từ đồng nghĩa
faulty (Emphasizes a defect or technical problem.) | temperamental (Suggests it works sometimes but is unpredictable.) | erratic (Highlights irregular, unpredictable performance.)
Từ trái nghĩa
reliable (Works well and consistently.) | stable (Emphasizes steady, predictable performance (often for systems).)
Cụm từ đi kèm
an unreliable car |unreliable equipment |unreliable service |unreliable internet |an unreliable connection |unreliable public transport |an unreliable engine |unreliable software |unreliable power supply |unreliable delivery
Chủ đề
technology |daily_life |transport
Ví dụ
  • Their old car is unreliable and keeps breaking down.
  • The Wi‑Fi is unreliable in this building, so video calls often drop.
  • We replaced the printer because it was too unreliable.
Ví dụ cho người học
  • My phone is unreliable.
  • The internet here is unreliable.
adjective C1 property
3

not trustworthy as information

Information that is unreliable may be wrong.

Mẫu sử dụng: unreliable [information/source/report/website]
Lỗi thường gặp:
Learners may confuse unreliable with 'unknown'; something can be well-known but still unreliable.
Từ đồng nghĩa
dubious (Suggests there is good reason to doubt it.) | questionable (More neutral; implies it may not be trustworthy.) | untrustworthy (Often used for sources; can also suggest dishonest intent.)
Từ trái nghĩa
reliable (Likely to be true and accurate.) | credible (Believable because it seems trustworthy.)
Cụm từ đi kèm
an unreliable source |unreliable information |an unreliable report |unreliable claims |unreliable figures |an unreliable website |unreliable statistics |unreliable testimony |unreliable data |highly unreliable
Chủ đề
media |education |information
Ví dụ
  • Most of the information on that site is unreliable.
  • The article relied on unreliable sources and contained several errors.
  • Without records, any estimate would be unreliable.
Ví dụ cho người học
  • This news is unreliable.
  • The source is unreliable.
adjective C1 property
4

inconsistent or unpredictable results

If results are unreliable, they change a lot and you can’t depend on them.

Mẫu sử dụng: unreliable [results/performance/measurements]
Lỗi thường gặp:
Learners may use unreliable when they mean 'inaccurate'; unreliable can mean either inaccurate or simply inconsistent.
Từ đồng nghĩa
inconsistent (Emphasizes variation over time.) | erratic (Stronger; suggests sudden, unpredictable changes.) | variable (More neutral; common in technical or scientific contexts.)
Từ trái nghĩa
consistent (Similar results over time.) | steady (Stable and not changing suddenly.)
Cụm từ đi kèm
unreliable results |unreliable performance |unreliable measurements |unreliable estimates |unreliable indicators |unreliable forecasts |unreliable signals |unreliable readings |unreliable output |unreliable quality
Chủ đề
science |business |sports
Ví dụ
  • The test produced unreliable results, so they ran it again.
  • His performance this season has been unreliable: brilliant one week, poor the next.
  • Because of interference, the sensor gives unreliable readings.
Ví dụ cho người học
  • The results are unreliable.
  • His work is unreliable.
Ngữ pháp
Dạng từ điển
unreliable
IPA
GB/ˌʌnɹɪlˈaɪəbəl/
US/ˌʌnɹɪlˈaɪəbəl/
Âm tiết và trọng âm
un - re - li - able (4 âm tiết)
Stress on 3rd syllable (li)
Các dạng từ
Adjective
  • Base: unreliable
Cách diễn đạt

unreliable connection

1
/ˌʌnɹɪlˈaɪəbəl kənˈɛkʃən/
fixed phrase

internet link that often fails

A connection that stops or becomes weak often.

Ví dụ
  • I kept losing audio because of an unreliable connection.
  • If you have an unreliable connection, it helps to turn off video during calls.

unreliable narrator

1
/ˌʌnɹɪlˈaɪəbəl nˈɛɹeɪtɚ/
fixed phrase

Narrator who cannot be trusted

A narrator who does not tell the story in a fully true or clear way, so the reader cannot fully trust what they say.

Ví dụ
  • The twist ending reveals that the book has an unreliable narrator.
  • An unreliable narrator makes the reader work harder to find the real story.
  • Film critics praised the use of an unreliable narrator to create suspense.

unreliable narrator

1
/ˌʌnɹɪlˈaɪəbəl nˈɛɹeɪtɚ/
fixed phrase

storyteller you cannot fully trust

A narrator who may not tell the truth or may be wrong.

Ví dụ
  • The novel uses an unreliable narrator, so the reader has to question every detail.
  • Halfway through the film, you realize the narrator has been unreliable all along.

unreliable source

1
/ˌʌnɹɪlˈaɪəbəl sˈɔɹs/
fixed phrase

source that cannot be trusted

A source that often gives wrong information.

Ví dụ
  • The story came from an unreliable source, so we didn’t publish it.
  • Try to confirm the claim with a second source if the first one seems unreliable.

unreliable witness

1
/ˌʌnɹɪlˈaɪəbəl wˈɪtnəs/
fixed phrase legal

witness whose testimony is doubtful

A witness you cannot trust to give correct information.

Ví dụ
  • The defense argued that the key witness was unreliable.
  • Because the witness changed his story, the jury saw him as an unreliable witness.

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