incapable

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Related to incapable: profusely, requisite, relentlessly

in·ca·pa·ble

(ĭn-kā′pə-bəl)

adj.

a. Lacking the necessary ability, capacity, or power: incapable of carrying a tune; incapable of love.

b. Unable to perform adequately; incompetent: an incapable administrator.

2. Not susceptible to action or treatment: a unique feat, incapable of duplication.

3. Law

a. Not meeting the physical and mental requirements imposed by law for the performance of a particular task.

b. Not meeting the requirements necessary for proper legal functioning: a contract provision incapable of being enforced.

in·ca′pa·bil′i·ty, in·ca′pa·ble·ness n.

in·ca′pa·bly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

incapable

(ɪnˈkeɪpəbəl)

adj

1. (when: postpositive, often foll by of) not capable (of); lacking the ability (to)

2. powerless or helpless, as through injury or intoxication

3. (foll by: of) not susceptible (to); not admitting (of): a problem incapable of solution.

inˌcapaˈbility, inˈcapableness n

inˈcapably adv

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

in•ca•pa•ble

(ɪnˈkeɪ pə bəl)

adj.

1. not having the necessary ability, qualification, or strength to perform some specified act or function.

2. lacking ordinary capability.

3. legally unqualified.

[1585–95; < Late Latin]

in•ca`pa•bil′i•ty, in•ca′pa•ble•ness, n.

in•ca′pa•bly, adv.

incapable

impassible, impassable - Impassible is incapable of feeling or suffering; impassable is not capable of being passed.
impregnable - Means "incapable of being taken by force" (from French prendre, "seize").
indefatigable - Means "incapable of being wearied."
inimitable - Means "unique; incapable of being imitated."

incapable

If someone is incapable of doing something, they are unable to do it.

He was incapable of enjoying himself.

This woman sounds as if she is totally incapable of loving anyone.

You do not say that someone is 'incapable to do' something.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Adj.	1.	incapable - (followed by `of') lacking capacity or ability; "incapable of carrying a tune"; "he is incapable of understanding the matter"; "incapable of doing the work" incompetent - not qualified or suited for a purpose; "an incompetent secret service"; "the filming was hopeless incompetent" capable - (usually followed by `of') having capacity or ability; "capable of winning"; "capable of hard work"; "capable of walking on two feet"
	2.	incapable - not being susceptible to or admitting of something (usually followed by `of'); "incapable of solution" insusceptible, unsusceptible - not susceptible to
	3.	incapable - (followed by `of') not having the temperament or inclination for; "simply incapable of lying" capable - (followed by `of') having the temperament or inclination for; "no one believed her capable of murder"
	4.	incapable - not meeting requirements; "unequal to the demands put upon him" unequal to, incompetent inadequate, unequal - lacking the requisite qualities or resources to meet a task; "inadequate training"; "the staff was inadequate"; "she was unequal to the task"

incapable

adjective

1. incompetent, inadequate, insufficient, unfit, unfitted, ineffective, feeble, weak, inept, unqualified, inexpert, not up to something, not equal to something He lost his job allegedly for being incapable.
incompetent fit, expert, capable, qualified, sufficient, efficient, adequate, competent

2. unable, helpless, powerless, unfit, impotent He argued that he was mentally incapable.

incapable of

3. not capable of, unable to carry out He seemed to be a man incapable of violence.

4. not susceptible to, resistant to, impervious to, not admitting of The problem of recidivism is not incapable of solution.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

incapable

adjective

1. Lacking capability:

inadequate, incompetent, unequal, unfit, unqualified.

2. Lacking the qualities, as efficiency or skill, required to produce desired results:

inapt, incompetent, inefficient, inept, inexpert, unskilled, unskillful, unworkmanlike.

3. Not capable of accomplishing anything:

helpless, impotent, inadequate, ineffectual, powerless, weak.

Translations

غَيْر قادِر عَلى

neschopný

unfähig

ανάξιος ανίκανος

incapaz

kykenemätönkyvytön

incapable capable

nesposoban

óhæfur

incapace incompetente incompetenza inadatto

negalintisnesugebantis

nespējīgs

nesposoben

yeteneksiz

无能力的

incapable

[ɪnˈkeɪpəbl] ADJ

1. (= unable) to be incapable of doing sth → ser incapaz de hacer algo
she is incapable of harming anyone → es incapaz de hacer daño a alguien
to be incapable of speech/movement → quedarse sin habla/sin poder moverse, no poder hablar/moverse
a problem incapable of solution → un problema insoluble
he is incapable of shame → no tiene vergüenza

2. (= incompetent) [worker] → incompetente

3. (= helpless) → inútil
he was drunk and incapable → estaba totalmente borracho

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

incapable

[ɪnˈkeɪpəb^əl] adj
to be incapable of doing sth → être incapable de faire qch
to be incapable of sth → être incapable de qch

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

incapable

adj

person → unfähig; (physically) → hilflos; to be incapable of doing something → unfähig or nicht imstande or nicht im Stande sein, etw zu tun, etw nicht tun können; she is physically incapable of lifting it → sie ist körperlich nicht in der Lage, es zu heben; drunk and incapable → volltrunken; he was completely incapable (because drunk) → er war volltrunken; incapable of working → arbeitsunfähig; incapable of tenderness → zu Zärtlichkeit nicht fähig; do it yourself, you’re not incapable (inf) → mach es doch selbst, du bist nicht so hilflos

(form) incapable of proof → nicht beweisbar; incapable of measurement → nicht messbar; incapable of improvement → nicht verbesserungsfähig; incapable of solution → unlösbar

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

incapable

[ɪnˈkeɪpəbl] adj incapable (of doing sth) → incapace (di fare qc)
a question incapable of solution (frm) → un problema irrisolvibile or insolubile

incapable

(inˈkeipəbl) adjective

(with of) not able (to do something). incapable of learning anything.

inˌcapaˈbility noun

incapable

a. incapaz, inhábil, inservible.

incapable

adj incapaz

References in classic literature ?

He was incapable of considering how his actions might affect others or what the consequences of this or that action of his might be.

View in context

He is incapable of arguing, and is bewildered by Socrates to such a degree that he does not know what he is saying.

View in context

By being 'present in a subject' I do not mean present as parts are present in a whole, but being incapable of existence apart from the said subject.

View in context

She realised that my outburst of passion had been simply revenge, a fresh humiliation, and that to my earlier, almost causeless hatred was added now a personal hatred, born of envy....Though I do not maintain positively that she understood all this distinctly; but she certainly did fully understand that I was a despicable man, and what was worse, incapable of loving her.

View in context

However gigantic and terrible an object this may appear when it approaches them, they are nevertheless incapable of seeing it at any distance; nay, though they have been ever so much alarmed and frightened when they have apprehended themselves in danger of dying, they are no sooner cleared from this apprehension than even the fears of it are erased from their minds.

View in context

Still less could Levin say that he was a knave, as Sviazhsky was unmistakably an honest, good-hearted, sensible man, who worked good-humoredly, keenly, and perseveringly at his work; he was held in high honor by everyone about him, and certainly he had never consciously done, and was indeed incapable of doing, anything base.

View in context

Sadly, sadly, the sun rose; it rose upon no sadder sight than the man of good abilities and good emotions, incapable of their directed exercise, incapable of his own help and his own happiness, sensible of the blight on him, and resigning himself to let it eat him away.

View in context

They were not only opinionative, peevish, covetous, morose, vain, talkative, but incapable of friendship, and dead to all natural affection, which never descended below their grandchildren.

View in context

He did not belong with us, yet we were still so primitive ourselves that we were incapable of a cooperative effort strong enough to kill him or cast him out.

View in context

At the enunciation of the aspirate, Fuddy-Duddy, the incapable terrapin, came to a dead halt, and before the vowel had died away up the ravine had folded up all his eight legs and lain down in the dusty road, regardless of the effect upon his derned skin.

View in context

But if such an hypothesis be indeed exceptionable, there were still additional considerations which, though not so strictly according with the wildness of his ruling passion, yet were by no means incapable of swaying him.

View in context

they deified the crocodile of the nile, because the crocodile is tongueless; and the Sperm Whale has no tongue, or as least it is so exceedingly small, as to be incapable of protrusion.