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Thu 2 Aug, 2007 10:34 am
The New Oxford Dictionary of English defines 'unputdownable' as follows:
unputdownable: adj. informal (of a book) so engrossing that one cannot stop reading it.
What I would like to know is whether this word is acceptable to native speakers of American or British English?
Many thanks.
I am American and I have never seen or heard anyone use that word.
It's found in the online American dictionaries:
Quote:un·put·down·a·ble /ˌʌnpʊtˈdaʊnəbəl/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[uhn-poot-dou-nuh-buhl] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
-adjective Informal.
(esp. of a book or periodical) so interesting or suspenseful as to compel reading.
[Origin: from phrase put down; see un-1, -able]
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source
un·put·down·a·ble (ŭn'pŏŏt-dou'nə-bəl) Pronunciation Key
adj. Informal
So well written and entertaining as to be difficult to put down.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/unputdownable
Young Liat - most readers would understand perfectly what's meant even if previously unacquainted with the word. A quick way to find out how common a word might be is to enter it into any major search engine.
HI High Seas
What do you mean by to enter it into any major search engine?
What word is used to describe a book that is so boring that you stop reading it after a short time?
Many thanks.
Yoong Liat wrote:HI High Seas
What do you mean by to enter it into any major search engine?
Go to
www.baidu.com and just type unputdownable...
Do I understand the term? Certainly.
Would I use the word? Probably not.
One of the troubles with On Line Reference Works is that slang can become and offical word without a long trial period.
"Unputdownable" could also mean "unquenchable"--which is a totally different situation.
Words for describing a highly readable book: "gripping", "enthralling", "spell-binding", "riveting".
Hi Yoong Liat. I am British and find "unputdownable" acceptable but would probably use "page-turner" which is probably considered more colloquial.
A boring book that I would give up on after a few chapters would be something like a "dud". But that's just me.
I find the word awkward.
Boring book? Unreadable.
Yoong Liat wrote:What word is used to describe a book that is so boring that you stop reading it after a short time?
Many thanks.
Repulsive, dull, rubbish, reads like molasses, Charlotte Bronte, etc. etc.
Yoong Liat wrote:What word is used to describe a book that is so boring that you stop reading it after a short time?
Many thanks.
dropdownable
The suffix/prefix system found in English allows users to easily create new words. Whether these words become commonplace isn't really all that important for they have served their place where the situation called for the.
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