Used of words, comments or replies that are too rude, too shocking or too offensive to write down. Its literal meaning is "cannot be printed", but that is not really the point — of course any word can physically be printed. It is a polite dodge.

Used of words, comments or replies用來形容一些話、評論或回覆that are too rude, too shocking or too offensive to write down粗魯、驚人或冒犯到不能寫出來。Its literal meaning is “cannot be printed”它字面意思是「不能印」，but that is not really the point但重點其實不在這裡——of course any word can physically be printed因為任何字當然都能被實際印出來。It is a polite dodge這是一種委婉的迴避說法。

A newspaper writes "his reply was unprintable" precisely so that it does not have to print the swearing, and the reader fills in the gap themselves, usually with something worse than what was actually said. That is the trick of the word: it hides the language and points at it at the same time, which is why it often sounds slightly amused rather than shocked.

A newspaper writes “his reply was unprintable”報紙寫「his reply was unprintable」precisely so that it does not have to print the swearing正是為了不用把髒話印出來，and the reader fills in the gap themselves讀者自己會去腦補那個空白，usually with something worse than what was actually said通常補的比實際講的還難聽。That is the trick of the word這就是這個詞的巧妙之處：it hides the language and points at it at the same time它一邊把那句話藏起來，一邊又指向它，which is why it often sounds slightly amused rather than shocked這也是為什麼它聽起來常帶點好笑，而不是震驚。

You see it in phrases like "his comments were unprintable", "what she said is unprintable", and in the joking "he called me something unprintable". English also has a small set of these polite dodges — unrepeatable, unmentionable — and they work the same way.

You see it in phrases like “his comments were unprintable”你會看到「his comments were unprintable」這種說法、“what she said is unprintable”還有「what she said is unprintable」，and in the joking “he called me something unprintable”以及開玩笑式的「he called me something unprintable」。English also has a small set of these polite dodges英文還有一小群同類的委婉迴避詞——unrepeatable, unmentionableunrepeatable、unmentionable——and they work the same way用法都一樣。

There is a rarer plain use, meaning a file or image is of too low quality to print properly, but a learner will almost always meet the rude sense. As a noun, unprintables (usually plural) means the words themselves — this is rare and old-fashioned, and you can safely leave it in books.

There is a rarer plain use還有一種比較少見的字面用法，meaning a file or image is of too low quality to print properly指檔案或圖片畫質太差，印不出來，but a learner will almost always meet the rude sense但學習者幾乎都會碰到的是那個粗話的意思。As a noun, unprintables (usually plural)當名詞用時，unprintables（通常用複數）means the words themselves指的就是那些話本身——this is rare and old-fashioned這種用法少見又老派，and you can safely leave it in books放著不管、留在書裡認得就好。