Unapproachable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Impossible to reach, contact, or communicate with, either physically or emotionally
2. Not able to be easily accessed, reached, or engaged with, whether in a physical sense or in terms of emotional openness
3. Difficult to get close to or establish a rapport with, signifying barriers in both physical and emotional contexts

Etymology: "Unapproachable" is built from two English parts: the prefix "un-", meaning "not," attached to "approachable." That adjective itself is a layered borrowing. "Approach" came into English from Old French "aprochier," which descends from Latin "appropiare," while the suffix "-able" passed into English through Old French from Latin "-abilis," meaning "capable of being." Put together, "approachable" meant something that could be drawn near, and "unapproachable" simply reverses that: something that cannot be reached or gotten close to. The word applies equally to places and people. A fortress on a sheer cliff or a glacier with no safe route up can be unapproachable in the literal, physical sense. The same term describes a manner or temperament that puts others off, so that no one feels able to come close enough to talk. Both senses grow from the same picture of a barrier that keeps others at a distance.

Synonyms: inaccessible, remote, aloof

Antonyms: approachable, accessible