unready

adjective

un·​ready ˌən-ˈre-dē How to pronounce unready (audio)
unreadier; unreadiest
: not prepared or ready
unready to go to college
My catcher … seemed unready; through the openings in his mask I could just discern a look that mingled confusion and distress.Ejner Jensen
I'm like a jailbird after a long stretch: unready for life, resentful of the separation, nostalgic for the chums I'd been locked up with …John le Carré
unreadiness noun

Examples of unready in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Successors are unready when the call comes. Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025 Every hospital, power grid, pipeline, water treatment plant, and telecommunications system is on the frontlines, and most of the United States’ critical infrastructure is unready for battle. Anne Neuberger, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2025 Hsu honors the writer’s obsession and perseverance while asking a more pointed question: Were Americans unready to accept an immigrant writer who called out weaknesses in their own country? The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 23 July 2025 He was widely declared unready for the tall task of being a No. 2 on a contender. Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for unready

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unready was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Unready.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unready. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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