unload

verb

un·​load ˌən-ˈlōd 

unloaded; unloading; unloads

transitive verb

1

a(1)

: to take off : deliver

(2)

: to take the cargo from

unload the truck

b

: to give outlet to : pour forth

unloaded her bitter feelings

2

: to relieve of something burdensome, unwanted, or oppressive

unloaded the pack animals

unloaded himself to his friend

3

a

: to remove something from

unloading the dishwasher

b

: to draw the charge from

unloaded the gun

4

: to get rid of : dump

unloaded the stock when prices fell

Rumor has it the team manager wants to unload him.

5

: to hit or propel with a great release of power

unloaded his ninth homer

intransitive verb

1

: to perform the act of unloading

2

: to release or deliver something especially with power

unloaded on the ball

3

: to give forth a usually sudden angry outburst

the coach unloaded on his players

unloader noun

Synonyms of unload

• unpack
• evacuate
• discharge
• unlade
• unburden
• off-load

Examples of unload in a Sentence

It took four hours to unload the truck.

Could you help me unload the car?

After the ship docked, they unloaded its cargo.

I have to unload the groceries.

Most ships unload at another dock now.

The train made several stops to unload passengers.

Rumor has it that the manager wants to unload him. Maybe he'll be traded to another team.

She unloaded a huge amount of stock when prices fell.

Recent Examples on the Web

As they were stopped at a red light on the Strip, a white Cadillac pulled up alongside their vehicle and a gunman unloaded his weapon. — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2026

Riley worked a full count and then unloaded on a 3-2 splitter that caught too much of the plate. — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 8 Aug. 2026

Unfortunately, the signs of this happening appeared near as Kolb failed to unload Laney-Hamilton’s $400,000 salary for an impactful piece at last week’s trade deadline. — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026

JetBlue Airways is unlikely to fare well amid a potential slowdown in leisure travel, making now a good time to unload shares of the airline, according to Citi. — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a(1)

Rhymes for unload

• abode
• anode
• barcode
• bestowed
• boatload
• borrowed
• carload
• caseload
• cathode
• commode
• corrode
• crossroad

Kids Definition

unload

verb

un·​load ˌən-ˈlōd 

ˈən-

1

a

: to take away or off : remove

unload cargo from a hold

b

: to take a load from

unload a ship

also : to rid or set free : unburden

unload your mind of worries

2

: to get rid of or be freed of a load or burden

the ship is unloading now

3

: to sell in large quantities : dump

unload surplus goods