📖 U — The English dictionary · page 3

unbalance — Everyday, meaning 1: To unbalance something is to make it lose its balance, so it tips or wobbles.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To unbalance a situation is to make it unfair or uneven, such as giving one team many more good players.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (older use) To unbalance a person is to upset them so much that they cannot think clearly.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (noun, rare) Unbalance is a lack of balance; «imbalance» is the usual word.↗ Example: A big wave unbalanced the boat.↗ · Don't lean too far or you'll unbalance the ladder.↗ · Putting all the tall children on one team would unbalance the game.↗ · If you add 3 to only one side, you unbalance the equation.↗ · The heavy bag unbalanced my bike.↗ · Eating only sweets gives you an unbalanced diet.↗

unbalanced — Everyday, meaning 1: Unbalanced means not steady, likely to tip or fall because the weight is not spread evenly.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: An unbalanced diet or report has too much of some things and not enough of others; it is not fair or even.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (old, unkind) Unbalanced can describe a person who is mentally unwell — avoid this use.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (maths, science) An unbalanced equation or set of forces is not equal on both sides.↗ Example: The tower was unbalanced and fell over.↗ · Eating only chips is an unbalanced diet.↗ · The teams are unbalanced: one has 8 players and the other 5.↗ · Unbalanced forces make the ball move.↗ · The scale is unbalanced because one side is heavier.↗ · If one side of an equation is 10 and the other is 12, it is unbalanced.↗

unbar — Everyday, meaning 1: To unbar a door is to lift the bar, the heavy bolt across it, so that it can open.↗ Example: Peter will not unbar the window.↗ · The guard unbars the gate and lets the cart through.↗ · Please unbar the back door so we can go out.↗

unbarred — Everyday, meaning 1: Unbarred means that the bar across a door has been lifted, so the door can open.↗ Example: Tink unbarred the door to her.↗ · Snowdrop unbarred the door and bought the lace.↗ · At midnight the door was softly unbarred.↗

unbearable — Everyday, meaning 1: Unbearable means too painful, hot, loud or annoying to put up with.↗ Example: The noise from the drums was unbearable.↗ · The heat in the desert was unbearable.↗ · Waiting for the bell felt unbearable.↗

unbeaten — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: Unbeaten means not walked on before, or not yet tried.↗ Example: I therefore hope that the candid reader will consider the great difficulties I had to overcome in this still unbeaten way of the ancient Jewish spiritual region, and will receive with indulgence this new contribution to archaeological knowledge.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877)↗

unbecoming — Everyday, meaning 1: (formal) Unbecoming behaviour is not suitable or proper for a person in a certain role, such as a teacher, officer or guest.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (old-fashioned) Unbecoming clothes or colours do not look nice on the person wearing them.↗ Example: Shouting at the referee was unbecoming of a team captain.↗ · The officer was punished for conduct unbecoming.↗ · Grandma said the green hat was rather unbecoming.↗ · Sulking after losing is unbecoming.↗ · Such rude words are unbecoming in a library.↗ · The old novel described a dress «most unbecoming».↗ · It is almost unbecoming to tell the story, but there is no doubt about it."↗

unbelievable — Everyday, meaning 1: Unbelievable means so surprising or strange that it is hard to believe it is true.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal) Unbelievable means very good, very bad or very great: the view was unbelievable.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: An unbelievable story is one that is not likely to be true.↗ Example: Our team won 10–0.↗ Unbelievable!↗ · The fireworks were unbelievable.↗ · His excuse was unbelievable: a dragon ate his homework.↗ · It's unbelievable how fast cheetahs can run.↗ · She was unbelievably lucky to find her ring in the sand.↗ · If a prize sounds unbelievable, it's probably a trick.↗ · What happened after this is an almost unbelievable story, but you may read it, dear children, in the chapters that follow.↗

unbelieving — Everyday, meaning 1: Unbelieving means not believing; refusing to accept what other people say is true.↗ Example: The old man gave an unbelieving shake of his head.↗ · "Do you believe me now?" asked the voice to the unbelieving fisherman.↗

unbelted — Everyday, meaning 1: Not wearing a seat belt in a car or other vehicle.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Without a belt: an unbelted coat or dress.↗ Example: Unbelted passengers can be thrown forward in a crash.↗ · The police stopped the driver because a child was unbelted.↗ · Never ride unbelted, even for a short trip.↗ · The unbelted coat flapped open in the wind.↗ · The poster showed an unbelted dummy flying through the windscreen.↗ · In the survey, 2 of the 40 drivers were unbelted.↗

unbend — Everyday, meaning 1: To unbend a bent thing is to straighten it, as a bow is straightened after use.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To unbend is to stop being stiff or serious and relax.↗ Example: Unbend your bow and rest.↗ · The strict teacher unbent and laughed at the joke.↗ · After the long test we unbent by playing a game.↗

unbending — Everyday, meaning 1: Unbending means stiff and firm, not willing to give in or change one's mind.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Unbending means not able to bend, very rigid.↗ Example: The judge was unbending and showed no mercy.↗ · Her rule was unbending: be on time.↗ · He stood unbending in the wind.↗

unblock — Everyday, meaning 1: To unblock something is to clear it so that things can pass through again, such as a drain, a sink, a road or a nose.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: On a phone, app or website, to unblock someone is to let them contact you or see you again after you blocked them.↗ Example: Dad used a plunger to unblock the toilet.↗ · We need a plumber to unblock the drain.↗ · A steamy shower can help unblock a stuffy nose.↗ · She decided to unblock her cousin after they made up.↗ · Only unblock someone if you feel safe talking to them again.↗ · The council sent a truck to unblock the road after the snow.↗

unborn — Everyday, meaning 1: Unborn means not yet born: an unborn baby is still growing inside its mother.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Unborn can also mean belonging to the future: generations yet unborn.↗ Example: Mum's unborn baby kicks when music plays.↗ · The doctor checked the unborn baby with a scan.↗ · We must protect the planet for generations yet unborn.↗ · The unborn calf was healthy.↗ · Smoking can harm an unborn baby.↗ · Christians believe the unborn child is precious to God.↗ · "Their mothers cursed them while still unborn," is the reply.↗

unbound — Everyday, meaning 1: Unbound means no longer tied up; free.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Unbound hair means loose hair that is not tied back.↗ Example: The cowboy unbound the captive.↗ · The hero's hands were unbound at last.↗ · Her long hair fell unbound over her shoulders.↗

unbounded — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: Unbounded means having no limit or end; very great.↗ Example: By the "hounded line" and "unbounded line" trom which according to the Pythagoreans everything originated (Diels H. (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914))↗ · The children showed unbounded joy at the news.↗ · The Lion's gratitude was unbounded.↗ · The king had unbounded wealth.↗

unbox — Everyday, meaning 1: To unbox something is to take it out of its box or packaging.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: An unboxing (video) is a film of someone opening a new product and showing it, popular online.↗ Example: We unboxed the new laptop and set it up.↗ · Unboxing videos show people opening toys.↗ · Some unboxing videos are paid adverts.↗ · Recycle the cardboard after you unbox your present.↗ · I couldn't wait to unbox my birthday parcel.↗ · The YouTuber unboxed a new games console.↗

unbreakable — Everyday, meaning 1: Very hard or impossible to break: unbreakable plastic.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Too strong to be ended or beaten: an unbreakable promise, an unbreakable code, an unbreakable record.↗ Example: We use unbreakable plates at picnics.↗ · The two friends shared an unbreakable bond.↗ · The spies tried to crack the unbreakable code.↗ · My phone has an unbreakable screen, or so the advert says.↗ · Her record of 100 goals seemed unbreakable.↗ · Telling the truth was an unbreakable rule in their house.↗

unbroken — Everyday, meaning 1: Unbroken means not broken or damaged: an unbroken egg.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Unbroken means without a stop or gap, continuous: an unbroken line, unbroken sleep.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: An unbroken record has not been beaten.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: An unbroken horse has not been trained to carry a rider.↗ Example: Only three eggs were unbroken after the box fell.↗ · Draw an unbroken line from A to B.↗ · Her record has stayed unbroken for many seasons.↗ · We walked along an unbroken stretch of sand.↗ · The baby had eight hours of unbroken sleep.↗ · The cowboy tried to ride an unbroken horse.↗ · Of 12 eggs, 4 broke, so 8 were unbroken.↗ · His astonishment was great when he awoke to find the glass axe whole and unbroken at his side, and all the trees of the wood lying felled around him!↗

unbuckle — Everyday, meaning 1: To unbuckle means to undo a buckle — open the fastening of a belt, strap or seat belt.↗ Example: Don't unbuckle your seat belt until the car stops.↗ · I unbuckled my shoes and kicked them off.↗ · The pilot said we could unbuckle our seat belts.↗ · Help your little brother unbuckle his car seat.↗ · Unbuckle your helmet only when you are off the bike.↗ · The horse rider unbuckled the saddle strap.↗ · The men unbuckled their knapsacks and filled them with those precious things.↗

unburied — Everyday, meaning 1: Unburied means not put into a grave; still lying above the ground after death.↗ Example: Antigone could not bear that her brother should lie unburied.↗ · The dead man lay unburied in the robbers' inn.↗

uncanny — Everyday, meaning 1: Uncanny means strange in a spooky way, as if not quite natural.↗ Example: The house was uncannily quiet.↗ · At an uncanny hour he passed the graveyard.↗ · The cat had an uncanny sense of where the mouse would run.↗

uncapped — Everyday, meaning 1: Uncapped means without a cap or lid on top, like an uncapped pen or bottle.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Uncapped means without an upper limit, such as uncapped prices or an uncapped number of players.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (sport, UK, Ireland, Australia) An uncapped player has never yet played for their national team.↗ Example: Don't leave the felt-tip uncapped or it will dry out.↗ · The uncapped bottle spilt all over the bag.↗ · The coach picked three uncapped players for England.↗ · Some phone plans have uncapped data.↗ · The glue stick dried out because it was left uncapped.↗ · An uncapped player made her debut for Ireland today.↗

unceasing — Everyday, meaning 1: Unceasing means never stopping; going on and on.↗ Example: The rain was unceasing for three days.↗ · Prometheus groaned in unceasing pain.↗ · The unceasing buzz of bees filled the garden.↗

unceasingly — Everyday, meaning 1: Unceasingly means without stopping; all the time.↗ Example: The gnats hummed and stung unceasingly.↗ · The Furies pursued Orestes unceasingly.↗ · The clock ticked unceasingly on the wall.↗

uncertain — Everyday, meaning 1: Uncertain means not sure about something.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Uncertain means not known or not decided yet.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Uncertain weather is weather that may change suddenly.↗ Example: I'm uncertain about which answer is right.↗ · The weather is uncertain, so bring a coat.↗ · The future of the old cinema is uncertain.↗ · She gave an uncertain smile.↗ · Whether it will rain tomorrow is uncertain.↗ · The teacher told us in no uncertain terms to stop talking.↗ · The number of guests is still uncertain.↗ · Where the name came from, and what it means is very uncertain.↗

uncertainty — Everyday, meaning 1: The feeling or state of not being sure about something.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Something that you do not know or cannot be sure about.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (science, maths) How much a measurement might be wrong; the range of possible values.↗ Example: There is a lot of uncertainty about tomorrow's weather.↗ · Moving to a new school brought months of uncertainty.↗ · Every measurement has some uncertainty.↗ · Probability helps us talk about uncertainty.↗ · She felt uncertainty about which club to join.↗ · Life is full of uncertainties.↗ · Poverty with security is better than plenty in the midst of fear and uncertainty.↗

unchallenged — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: Not stopped, doubted or argued against by anyone.↗ Example: A false witness shall perish; but the man that obeyeth shall speak unchallenged.↗ (Writings PRO.21.28, JPS 1917)↗

unchanged — Everyday, meaning 1: Unchanged means not changed; still the same as before.↗ Example: The village looked unchanged after all these years.↗ · Keep the amount of water unchanged to make the test fair.↗ · If you add 0 to a number, it stays unchanged.↗ · Her answer remained unchanged.↗ · The rules of the game are unchanged.↗ · The weather was unchanged all week.↗ · The old Wartburg castle stood unchanged on the rock where the monk and the nun were hewn out of the stone.↗

unchanging — Everyday, meaning 1: Unchanging means staying the same all the time and never changing.↗ Example: The desert looked unchanging for miles.↗ · Her unchanging smile made everyone feel welcome.↗ · The rules of chess are almost unchanging.↗ · Every day followed the same unchanging routine.↗ · Christians believe God's love is unchanging.↗ · The stars seemed unchanging in the night sky.↗