unreliable

[uhn-ri-lahy-uh-buhl] / ˌʌn rɪˈlaɪ ə bəl /

ADJECTIVE

not trustworthy, not true

Synonyms

STRONGEST

capricious deceptive dubious false fickle inaccurate irresponsible treacherous tricky uncertain unsound unstable untrustworthy

STRONG

undependable

WEAK

deceitful delusive disreputable erroneous fake fallible fly-by-night furtive hallucinatory hollow implausible inconstant makeshift meretricious mistaken pretended pseudo questionable sham shifty specious unconvincing underhand underhanded unfaithful unsure untrue vacillating wavering weak

Antonyms

STRONGEST

accurate certain clear constant correct definite dependable faithful forthright frank honest reliable right stable steady strong sure true trustworthy truthful

WEAK

responsible

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Polling in mayoral races is typically pretty unreliable.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026

Much of Delhi's informal migrant workforce lives in densely-packed settlements with unreliable electricity, poor ventilation and no air-conditioning.

From BBC • May 28, 2026

The numbers that researchers have been using to predict which jobs could be lost to artificial intelligence may be unreliable.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026

His second day of testimony in federal court in Oakland, California grew testy at times, as OpenAI's lawyers sought to portray the Tesla tycoon as an unreliable narrator of the company's history.

From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026

Are you familiar with the phrase unreliable narrator?

From "Confessions of a Murder Suspect" by James Patterson

Vocabulary lists containing unreliable

STAAR English I: Elements of Literature

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STAAR English II: Elements of Literature 1

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Point of View

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