📖 U — The English dictionary · page 16

unpredictably — Everyday, meaning 1: In a way that cannot be guessed or known before it happens.↗ Example: The weather changes unpredictably in the mountains.↗ · The puppy ran unpredictably across the park.↗ · Prices can rise unpredictably.↗ · The ball bounced unpredictably off the stone.↗ · Her mood changed unpredictably all day.↗ · Each roll of a fair dice lands unpredictably, but over many rolls each number comes up about a sixth of the time.↗

unprepared — Everyday, meaning 1: Unprepared means not ready for something, because you did not get ready or did not expect it.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Unprepared can also describe things that have not been made ready, like unprepared food or ground.↗ Example: I was unprepared for the surprise spelling test.↗ · The hikers were unprepared for the snow.↗ · Don't come to PE unprepared – bring your kit.↗ · The town was unprepared for the flood.↗ · The teacher was not unprepared – she had a spare pencil for everyone.↗ · He walked onto the stage unprepared and forgot his lines.↗ · The capital was utterly unprepared to stand a siege, and seeing that resistance was useless, at once opened its gates.↗

unprofitable — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: Not bringing any good or benefit.↗ Example: Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?↗ (Writings JOB.15.3, JPS 1917)↗

unprotected — Everyday, meaning 1: Unprotected means not kept safe from harm or danger.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Unprotected means not covered or shielded, for example from sun or rain.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (computers) Unprotected means without a password or security.↗ Example: Unprotected skin can burn in strong sun.↗ · Never touch unprotected electrical wires.↗ · The castle's back gate was left unprotected.↗ · Unprotected iron rusts quickly in wet weather.↗ · Your computer is unprotected without a password.↗ · The baby birds were unprotected while their mother hunted.↗ · Wear goggles; your eyes are unprotected otherwise.↗ · As she spoke they reached the Castle of Steel, the side next the sea being the only one which the Yellow Dwarf had left unprotected by the dreadful burning walls.↗

unproven — Everyday, meaning 1: Unproven means not shown to be true; there is not yet enough evidence or proof.↗ Example: The advert made unproven claims about the drink.↗ · The idea is still unproven until we test it.↗ · Ghost stories are unproven.↗ · Scientists look for evidence to test unproven ideas.↗ · That cure is unproven and may not be safe.↗ · His story was unproven because no one saw it happen.↗

unprovoked — Everyday, meaning 1: An unprovoked attack or action happens without any reason, when the other person did nothing to cause it.↗ Example: The dog's bite was unprovoked; the boy had not touched it.↗ · Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 was widely described as unprovoked.↗ · The teacher said the push was unprovoked and unfair.↗ · Shark attacks on people are rare, and unprovoked ones are rarer still.↗ · It was an unprovoked insult.↗ · The court heard it was an unprovoked assault.↗

unpunctual — Everyday, meaning 1: Not on time; often late.↗ Example: The report said she was sometimes unpunctual in the mornings.↗ · Unpunctual trains made everyone late for work.↗ · Being unpunctual is rude when others are waiting.↗ · The unpunctual guest arrived after dinner was over.↗ · The bus was unpunctual: due at 8:10, it came at 8:25, so 15 minutes late.↗ · Try not to be unpunctual for your exams.↗

unpunished — Everyday, meaning 1: Not given a punishment for doing wrong.↗ Example: The thief must not go unpunished.↗ · Nobody can cheat and go unpunished.↗ · The bully went unpunished that day.↗ · A false witness shall not be unpunished; and he that breatheth forth lies shall perish.↗ (Writings PRO.19.9, JPS 1917)↗ · So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not go unpunished.↗ (Writings PRO.6.29, JPS 1917)↗ · A false witness shall not be unpunished; and he that breatheth forth lies shall not escape.↗ (Writings PRO.19.5, JPS 1917)↗

unqualified — Everyday, meaning 1: Unqualified means not having the training, skills or certificate needed for a job.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Unqualified also means complete, without limits: an unqualified success.↗ Example: He is unqualified to fix the wiring.↗ · The party was an unqualified success.↗ · Unqualified drivers must not drive.↗ · She was unqualified for the job.↗ · The teacher gave unqualified praise.↗ · Don't let unqualified people treat your pet.↗

unquestioned — Everyday, meaning 1: Accepted by everyone as true or right, with no doubt.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Not asked questions; not checked.↗ Example: His honesty was unquestioned.↗ · She was the unquestioned champion.↗ · The Queen's orders went unquestioned.↗ · In science, no idea should be unquestioned.↗ · The rules went unquestioned for years.↗ · The witness left unquestioned.↗ · No English translation of Perrault's fairy tales has attained unquestioned literary pre-eminence.↗

unravel — Everyday, meaning 1: To undo knitting or cloth by pulling the threads apart.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To work out the answer to something tangled or hard to understand.↗ Example: She unravelled the old scarf to make a new one.↗ · The spider's web unravelled in the wind.↗ · Can you unravel this puzzle?↗

unreached — Everyday, meaning 1: Not yet reached or got to: an unreached goal, an unreached place.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (of people) Not yet contacted or helped.↗ Example: The top of the mountain remained unreached.↗ · Her goal of reading 50 books stayed unreached: she read 42.↗ · Some villages are still unreached by roads.↗ · The charity tries to help families who are still unreached.↗ · Several targets were left unreached at the end of the term.↗ · The ball rolled to an unreached corner under the bed.↗

unread — Everyday, meaning 1: Unread means not read yet.↗ An unread book or message is one nobody has read.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: An unread person is someone who has not read much (rare).↗ Example: She has 12 unread books on her shelf.↗ · The book has 200 pages; 75 are read.↗ How many are unread?↗ · He had 9 unread messages.↗ · After reading 4 letters, 3 were still unread.↗ · The letter lay unread on the table for a week.↗ · My phone shows 5 unread texts.↗ · Half of the pages are still unread.↗ · He returned the library book unread.↗

unreadable — Everyday, meaning 1: Unreadable writing is so messy, faded or small that you cannot read it.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: An unreadable book or text is so boring or badly written that it is hard to keep reading.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: An unreadable face shows no feeling, so you cannot tell what the person thinks.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (computers) An unreadable file or disk cannot be opened by the computer.↗ Example: The rain made the note unreadable.↗ · The doctor's handwriting was unreadable.↗ · The old gravestone was worn and unreadable.↗ · The book was so dull it was unreadable.↗ · Her face was unreadable as she opened the letter.↗ · The memory stick was damaged and the files were unreadable.↗

unreal — Everyday, meaning 1: Unreal means not real; imaginary or seeming like a dream.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Unreal can describe something so strange or shocking that it is hard to believe it is really happening.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (slang) Unreal means amazing, brilliant or excellent: «That goal was unreal!».↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (slang) Unreal can also mean unfair or ridiculous: «The price is unreal.».↗ Example: The dream felt unreal.↗ · Winning the cup still feels unreal.↗ · That skateboard trick was unreal!↗ (slang)↗ · Dragons are unreal creatures from stories.↗ · The prices at the theme park were unreal.↗ (slang)↗ · The sunset was so bright it looked unreal.↗ · «How was the concert?»↗ «Unreal, mate!»↗ (slang)↗ · Their mildness seemed unreal, and a mere freak; but their savage nature was as true as their teeth and claws.↗

unrealistic — Everyday, meaning 1: Unrealistic means not sensible or likely to happen, especially about plans or hopes: an unrealistic goal.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Unrealistic means not looking or seeming real or true to life, as in an unrealistic drawing or film scene.↗ Example: An answer of 300 kg for a cat is unrealistic, so check your sum.↗ · Getting 100 % in every test is an unrealistic goal.↗ · The film's car chase was so unrealistic it was funny.↗ · Photos in adverts can be edited and give unrealistic ideas of how people look.↗ · Setting smaller goals is better than setting unrealistic ones.↗ · His drawing of the horse was unrealistic because it had five legs.↗

unreasonable — Everyday, meaning 1: Not fair or sensible; asking for more than is right or fair.↗ Example: It is unreasonable to ask for three cakes.↗ · The king made an unreasonable demand.↗ · Your answer of 900 is unreasonable for this problem.↗

unrecognisable — Everyday, meaning 1: So changed in look that people cannot tell who or what it is.↗ Example: The witch was unrecognisable in her disguise.↗ · After the rain, the path was unrecognisable.↗ · His face was unrecognisable under the mud.↗

unrecorded — Everyday, meaning 1: Unrecorded means not written down, filmed or saved, so there is no record of it.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Unrecorded music or sound has not been recorded.↗ Example: Much of ancient history went unrecorded.↗ · Write your results down so none go unrecorded.↗ · The goal went unrecorded because nobody filmed it.↗ · The band played an unrecorded song at the show.↗ · Many women's stories from the past are unrecorded.↗ · The temperature that morning was unrecorded.↗

unrelated — Everyday, meaning 1: Unrelated things have no link or connection with each other.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Unrelated people are not part of the same family.↗ Example: My headache is unrelated to the test; I just slept badly.↗ · The two fires were unrelated.↗ · Liam and Leo share a surname but are unrelated.↗ · On an unrelated note, who wants pizza?↗ · Ignore the unrelated information in the word problem.↗ · The teacher said the question was unrelated to today's lesson.↗

unreliable — Everyday, meaning 1: Not able to be trusted or depended on to work well or do what is promised.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (of information) Possibly wrong, so not to be believed without checking.↗ Example: Our old car is unreliable and often won't start.↗ · He is unreliable: he never turns up on time.↗ · Some websites are unreliable, so check facts in a good book.↗ · The results were unreliable because we only tested once.↗ · The weather forecast was unreliable that week.↗ · The narrator of the story turned out to be unreliable.↗ · The entire Greek account of Pythagoras and his philosophy is unreliable and most likely is a forgery.↗ (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914))↗

unremedied — Everyday, meaning 1: (formal) Unremedied means not put right, cured or fixed; a problem or wrong that nobody has repaired.↗ Example: The leak in the roof remained unremedied for months.↗ · The unfairness went unremedied for years.↗ · An unremedied mistake can cause bigger problems later.↗ · The report listed the faults still unremedied.↗ · The broken lift was unremedied, so people used the stairs.↗ · The court said the wrong could not stay unremedied.↗

unrepaired — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: Not fixed or mended; left broken.↗ Example: 'How is the city of praise left unrepaired, the city of my joy?'↗ (Prophets JER.49.25, JPS 1917)↗

unresolved — Everyday, meaning 1: Unresolved means not yet settled, solved or answered: an unresolved problem or argument is still going on.↗ Example: The mystery of the missing cake remained unresolved.↗ · The argument between the two friends is still unresolved.↗ · The book ends with the main problem unresolved, so we want the sequel.↗ · Some questions in science are still unresolved.↗ · The teacher helped us sort out our unresolved disagreement.↗ · The court case is unresolved.↗

unrest — Everyday, meaning 1: Unrest is a situation where many people are angry or unhappy and may protest, strike or fight, especially in a country or city.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Unrest can mean a feeling of worry or trouble that won't settle.↗ Example: There was unrest in the city after the price of bread went up.↗ · The king worried about unrest among the farmers.↗ · Because of the unrest, the school trip was cancelled.↗ · The workers' unrest led to a strike.↗ · History books tell of times of great unrest.↗ · A feeling of unrest grew in the town.↗

unrestrained — Everyday, meaning 1: Not controlled or held back; free and wild: unrestrained joy, unrestrained anger.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Not physically held back or tied: an unrestrained dog, an unrestrained passenger (without a seat belt).↗ Example: The fans cheered with unrestrained joy.↗ · An unrestrained passenger can be thrown forward in a crash.↗ · The puppy ran unrestrained across the field.↗ · Her unrestrained laughter filled the room.↗ · His unrestrained anger frightened the little ones.↗ · Unrestrained spending left them with no money.↗

unrestricted — Everyday, meaning 1: Unrestricted means without limits, rules or controls; free to do, have or use as much as you want.↗ Example: We had an unrestricted view of the stage from the front row.↗ · The library gives unrestricted access to its books for members.↗ · Children should not have unrestricted internet use.↗ · The ticket is unrestricted, so you can travel at any time.↗ · The dogs had unrestricted run of the farm.↗ · (formal) The museum allows unrestricted entry on Sundays.↗

unrewarded — Everyday, meaning 1: Not given a prize, thanks or payment for good work or a good deed.↗ Example: A good deed should never go unrewarded.↗ · His hard work went unrewarded that year.↗ · She helped everyone, unrewarded.↗

unrighteous — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: Not good or fair; wicked.↗ Example: If an unrighteous witness rise up against any man to bear perverted witness against him; (Torah DEU.19.16, JPS 1917)↗ · Thou shalt not utter a false report; put not thy hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.↗ (Torah EXO.23.1, JPS 1917)↗ · Unrighteous witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I know not.↗ (Writings PSA.35.11, JPS 1917)↗ · Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, and disaster to the workers of iniquity?↗ (Writings JOB.31.3, JPS 1917)↗ · Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers that write iniquity; (Prophets ISA.10.1, JPS 1917)↗