impractical

impractical — adjective

1. not having the natural ability to do manual jobs, fix household items, or organi

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

not having the natural ability to do manual jobs, fix household items, or organise everyday tasks without help.

Example

Eli is completely impractical — when his sink broke, he tried to fix it with tape and flooded the kitchen.

be + completely impractical (person)

Renata called a handyman just to hang a single picture frame, which shows how impractical she is with simple tasks.

show how impractical [someone] is with [tasks]

Common collocations
  • completely / totally / hopelessly impractical
  • impractical person / type / sort
  • impractical when it comes to [task]
Synonyms
  • all thumbs

    informal idiom; narrower — only about clumsy hands

  • inept

    more formal; can suggest a lack of basic competence

  • hopeless

    informal and stronger; suggests no chance of improvement

Antonyms
  • practical

    the direct opposite; naturally good at hands-on tasks

  • handy

    informal; especially good at fixing or building things

Grammar Patterns

be + impractical

impractical + noun (e.g. impractical person)

Usage Note

Describes a person's lack of practical skill. Unlike 'unskilled', which usually refers to professional or trained ability, 'impractical' covers everyday hands-on tasks and household organisation.

Common Mistakes

My brother is impractical for fixing cars.
My brother is hopelessly impractical when it comes to fixing cars.
Use 'when it comes to' or 'at' rather than 'for' to connect the adjective to the task.

2. not likely to succeed in real life because carrying it out would be too difficul

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

not likely to succeed in real life because carrying it out would be too difficult, slow, or costly.

Example

Stefan's plan to cycle across the Sahara in July was dismissed as wildly impractical by his friends.

plan dismissed as impractical

The school board rejected the proposal as impractical, since finding fifty qualified teachers in a month was impossible.

rejected as impractical

Common collocations
  • wildly / entirely / completely impractical
  • impractical plan / idea / suggestion / proposal / method
  • dismiss / reject / regard as impractical
Synonyms
  • unrealistic

    focuses on the plan ignoring real-world limits rather than on execution difficulty

  • unworkable

    stronger; suggests the plan cannot function at all

  • unfeasible

    more formal; suggests the plan cannot be done given available resources

Antonyms
  • practical

    the direct opposite; able to be carried out in real life

  • feasible

    possible and realistic to achieve

  • sensible

    shows good judgment in practical matters

Grammar Patterns

it is impractical + to-infinitive

impractical + noun (e.g. impractical plan)

be + impractical

Usage Note

The most widely used sense of 'impractical'. Common with nouns such as 'plan', 'idea', 'suggestion', 'method', 'proposal'. The impersonal construction ('it is impractical to…') is a high-frequency pattern in both spoken and written English.

Common Mistakes

This method is impractical to be used.
This method is impractical to use.
After 'impractical', use the active infinitive, not the passive.

3. designed in a way that makes ordinary daily use awkward, uncomfortable, or incon

3.adjectiveB2
Definition

designed in a way that makes ordinary daily use awkward, uncomfortable, or inconvenient.

Example

Faisal bought a white suede jacket that looked great but was deeply impractical for the rainy season.

looks good but is impractical for [situation]

Sade's designer handbag was too small to hold a phone and a wallet — beautiful but impractical.

Common collocations
  • beautiful / stylish / elegant but impractical
  • impractical for [situation / season / purpose]
  • completely / totally / deeply impractical
Synonyms
  • inconvenient

    broader; can also apply to schedules, locations, etc.

  • awkward

    emphasises physical discomfort or difficulty of use

  • unsuitable

    suggests the item is wrong for a specific purpose or setting

Antonyms
  • practical

    the direct opposite; convenient and suitable for everyday use

  • functional

    emphasises that something works well

  • convenient

    easy and comfortable to use

Grammar Patterns

impractical + noun (e.g. impractical shoes)

be + impractical (e.g. the design is impractical)

Usage Note

This sense applies only to physical objects — clothing, accessories, furniture, devices. It is often used with a contrasting pattern like 'beautiful but impractical' or 'looks good but is impractical' to highlight the trade-off between appearance and usefulness.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/2

All four describe ideas or plans that are unlikely to succeed, but the nuance differs. 'Impractical' (B2) is the broadest — it means carrying out the plan would be too difficult, costly, or complicated in real life. 'Unrealistic' (B2) focuses on the plan not matching reality: expecting too much or ignoring genuine constraints. 'Unworkable' (C1) is more technical and suggests the plan simply cannot function as described — it has a fatal flaw. 'Unfeasible' (C1) is formal and implies the plan cannot be achieved given the resources available. For example: 'Building the bridge in three months was impractical (too many logistical hurdles), unrealistic (nobody checked the weather data), unworkable (the design had a structural flaw), and ultimately unfeasible (the budget didn't exist).'

impractical ↗unrealisticunworkableunfeasible

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • it is impractical to + infinitive
  • impractical in practice
  • beautiful but impractical

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Formed in English in the mid-1800s by adding the prefix 'im-' (meaning 'not') to 'practical'. 'Practical' comes from Late Latin 'practicus' ('active'), which was borrowed from Greek 'praktikos' ('concerned with action'), itself from the verb 'prassein' ('to do, to act').