Unfit

How to spell unfit

5 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce unfit

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does unfit mean?

1. adjectiveNot suitable, qualified, or adequate for a particular purpose.
2. adjectiveNot in good physical condition; not healthy or strong enough.

Unfit in a sentence

• The inspector declared the building unfit for human habitation.

• Years behind a desk had left her badly unfit and short of breath.

• The panel judged him unfit to hold public office.

• The doctor said he was too unfit to run the marathon this year.

Where does unfit come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This is a transparent English compound built from the native prefix un-, which comes from Old English and simply means 'not', and the word 'fit'. The root 'fit' appeared in Middle English around the 1400s with the sense of being suitable or well matched, though its earlier history is genuinely murky and scholars are not certain which source it grew from. By the 1500s 'unfit' was in regular use meaning 'not suitable' or 'not qualified', and the more bodily sense of being out of condition or not physically capable developed later, especially as 'fit' came to describe good health and athletic readiness. The prefix un- is one of the most productive in English, attaching freely to adjectives, so 'unfit' follows the same pattern as 'unhappy' and 'unkind'. Because both parts are short and familiar, the only real spelling point is remembering it is written as one solid word with a single f, not 'un fit' or 'unffit'.

How the word is built

• un- (not)
• fit (suitable, in good condition)