unsettled

un·set·tled

adjective \-ˈse-t^əld\

Definition of UNSETTLED

: not settled: as

a (1) : not calm or tranquil : disturbed <unsettled political conditions> (2) : likely to vary widely especially in the near future : variable <unsettled weather> (3) : not settled down <unsettled dust>

b (1) : not decided or determined : doubtful <an unsettled state of mind> (2) : not resolved or worked out : undecided <an unsettled question>

c : characterized by irregularity <an unsettled life>

d : not inhabited or populated <unsettled land>

e : mentally unbalanced

f (1) : not disposed of according to law <an unsettled estate> (2) : not paid or discharged <unsettled debts>

— un·set·tled·ness \-t^əl(d)-nəs\ noun

Examples of UNSETTLED

1. We have some unsettled business to attend to.
2. <we've been having a lot of unsettled weather lately>

First Known Use of UNSETTLED

circa 1586

Related to UNSETTLED

Synonyms

capricious, changeable, changeful, flickery, fluctuating, fluid, inconsistent, inconstant, mercurial, mutable, skittish, temperamental, uncertain, unpredictable, fickle, unstable, unsteady, variable, volatile

Antonyms

certain, changeless, constant, immutable, invariable, predictable, settled, stable, stationary, steady, unchangeable, unchanging, unvarying

Related Words

aimless, arbitrary, desultory, erratic, haphazard, hit-or-miss, irregular, random, scattered, slapdash, stray; ambivalent, hesitating, shaky, shilly-shally, shilly-shallying, vacillating, wavering; dicey, undependable, unreliable, untrustworthy; adaptable, mobile, protean, versatile

Near Antonyms

equable, even, uniform; abiding, durable, lasting, permanent, persistent; dependable, reliable, sure, tried, tried-and-true, true, trustworthy, trusty