unmaintainable
Cannot be sustained
Unmaintainable describes something—usually software code or a system—that has become too complex, poorly documented, or badly structured to be reasonably updated or repaired.
The term implies that fixing or improving it would cost more effort than starting over: The codebase was so unmaintainable that new developers quit within weeks.
Sometimes applied to physical things like buildings or machinery that have deteriorated beyond practical repair.
Intensely excessive in force
- onerousInvolving excessive difficulty
- cumbersomeAwkwardly heavy or bulky
- laboriousRequiring considerable effort
- taxingRequiring great effort
arduous · grueling · exhausting · demanding · unwieldy · unmanageable · impractical · time-consuming
Excessively complex or twisted
- byzantineDauntingly intricate and devious
- labyrinthineExtremely complex and winding
- tangledTwisted confusedly together
- knottyComplex and difficult
intricate · complicated · incomprehensible · abstruse · inscrutable · cryptic · opaque · arcane
Liable to shatter
- fragileEasily broken or damaged
- breakableCapable of shattering
- vulnerableOpen to attack
- unstableProne to sudden change
rickety · precarious · crumbling · decaying · deteriorating · rotting · dilapidated · ramshackle
Formally advised against using
- outdatedNo longer in use
- legacyWhat's passed down
- unsupportedLacking backing or proof
- end-of-lifeNearing death phase
abandoned · orphaned · incompatible · antiquated · archaic · superseded · defunct · discontinued
overwhelming
Intensely excessive in force
- onerousInvolving excessive difficulty
- cumbersomeAwkwardly heavy or bulky
- laboriousRequiring considerable effort
taxing · arduous · grueling · exhausting · demanding · unwieldy · unmanageable · impractical · time-consuming · costly
convoluted
Excessively complex or twisted
- byzantineDauntingly intricate and devious
- labyrinthineExtremely complex and winding
- tangledTwisted confusedly together
knotty · intricate · complicated · incomprehensible · abstruse · inscrutable · cryptic · opaque · arcane · perplexing
brittle
Liable to shatter
- fragileEasily broken or damaged
- breakableCapable of shattering
- vulnerableOpen to attack
unstable · rickety · precarious · crumbling · decaying · deteriorating · rotting · dilapidated · ramshackle · patched
deprecated
Formally advised against using
- outdatedNo longer in use
- legacyWhat's passed down
- unsupportedLacking backing or proof
end-of-life · abandoned · orphaned · incompatible · antiquated · archaic · superseded · defunct · discontinued · bitrot
unmaintainablemaintainable
Capable of being kept up
serviceable · repairable · modular · supportable · fixable
unmaintainablesustainable
Able to endure long-term
durable · robust · long-lasting · resilient · enduring
unmaintainablewell-designed
Skillfully planned and executed
clean · modular · elegant · manageable · accessible
maintain, maintenance, maintained, maintaining, maintains, maintainer, unmaintained, maintainable, maintainers