Unsteerable

The adjective 'unsteerable' describes something that cannot be guided or controlled, typically in terms of its direction or course. This lack of control can be due to mechanical failure, a lack of suitable controls, or external forces overwhelming attempts at steering. Often associated with vehicles or objects moving through a medium (air, water, space), it implies a perilous situation where the intended destination or trajectory cannot be maintained. The inability to steer can lead to unpredictability, danger, and a loss of agency over one's movement, highlighting vulnerability to environmental conditions or forces. It speaks to a helplessness against forces greater than one's ability to influence its path.

Unsteerable meaning with examples

• The rogue wave capsized the sailboat, rendering it completely unsteerable. The captain fought desperately, but the furious ocean was in control. The crew braced for the inevitable, knowing they were at the mercy of the currents and wind until the storm abated or the boat foundered, leaving them stranded.
• Due to a critical malfunction in the flight control systems, the aircraft became unsteerable. The pilot's desperate attempts to regain control were futile, as the plane spiraled downwards. The passengers' fear escalated with each failed effort, and the ground crew worked tirelessly to figure out how to help.
• The damaged rover, its guidance systems fried by a solar flare, became unsteerable on the Martian surface. Communication with Earth was severed, and the scientists could only watch as the rover drifted aimlessly across the red plains, its mission a failed project.
• After the explosion, the debris field left the spacecraft unsteerable, its trajectory no longer under the control of mission control. The crew desperately tried to re-establish communication with Earth while enduring the lack of oxygen in hopes of a rescue that might never happen.