: an ignorant or underprivileged group : rabble
—usually used with great
the great unwashed
Synonyms
Examples of unwashed in a Sentence
Adjective
a sink full of unwashed dishes
a TV producer who knew what the unwashed masses wanted—and unhesitatingly gave it to them
Noun
Aunt Edna was fond of snootily reminding us that we need not take our manners from the great unwashed.
Recent Examples on the Web
Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
Stored unwashed in the fridge, either in an open food-grade bag or loosely wrapped in foil, rhubarb should last a week or two.
—Aaron Hutcherson, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024
Consider using it alongside dry shampoo to restore shine and softness to unwashed hair.
—Deanna Pai, Vogue, 29 Jan. 2024
An entire musical number (set as a dream in her Bronx hometown) features Lopez ballading alongside the child actor playing her disgruntled, distressingly unwashed younger self, both of them passionately mouthing the lyrics to the unremarkable title song.
—Wesley Morris, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024
Video shows the performers getting out of limos and hatchbacks, looking variously glamorous or unwashed.
—Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, 22 Feb. 2024
After going through the wash, there was virtually no difference between the texture of the washed and unwashed sheet, with no changes in color and no shrinking.
—Kathleen Felton, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Jan. 2024
With my hair one day past acceptably unwashed and my weird nightdress.
—EW.com, 29 Nov. 2023
Four sat behind a desk and another four were under a beverage storage rack, both near a walk-in cooler for unwashed vegetables.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 9 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Over the past decade, medical research has consistently demonstrated that the most relied upon medical device, the stethoscope, has the same contamination, and transmission as unwashed hands, undermining hand hygiene efforts in healthcare delivery.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
Stored unwashed in the fridge, either in an open food-grade bag or loosely wrapped in foil, rhubarb should last a week or two.
—Aaron Hutcherson, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024
Consider using it alongside dry shampoo to restore shine and softness to unwashed hair.
—Deanna Pai, Vogue, 29 Jan. 2024
An entire musical number (set as a dream in her Bronx hometown) features Lopez ballading alongside the child actor playing her disgruntled, distressingly unwashed younger self, both of them passionately mouthing the lyrics to the unremarkable title song.
—Wesley Morris, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024
Video shows the performers getting out of limos and hatchbacks, looking variously glamorous or unwashed.
—Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, 22 Feb. 2024
After going through the wash, there was virtually no difference between the texture of the washed and unwashed sheet, with no changes in color and no shrinking.
—Kathleen Felton, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Jan. 2024
With my hair one day past acceptably unwashed and my weird nightdress.
—EW.com, 29 Nov. 2023
Four sat behind a desk and another four were under a beverage storage rack, both near a walk-in cooler for unwashed vegetables.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 9 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unwashed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near unwashed
Cite this Entry
“Unwashed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unwashed. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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