unbalanced

adjective

un·​bal·​anced ˌən-ˈba-lən(t)st 

: not balanced: such as

a

: not in equilibrium

b

: mentally disordered : affected with mental illness

c

: not adjusted so as to make credits equal to debits

an unbalanced account

Synonyms

• unstable

Examples of unbalanced in a Sentence

He's been eating an unbalanced diet.

horrific crimes that obviously were committed by a very unbalanced person

Recent Examples on the Web

Have unbalanced and excessive cortisol? —Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2025

The Big 12 is 16 schools with similar talent levels playing wildly unbalanced schedules. —Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025

Which road trip do the Aztecs skip in the unbalanced Mountain West schedule? —Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Sep. 2025

Neither Ada nor Angèle’s scenes serve as counterpoints to the more urgent drama facing Maxine, merely making the movie feel unbalanced and disjointed. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1650, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unbalanced

• counterbalanced
• overbalanced
• balanced
• imbalanced

Kids Definition

unbalanced

adjective

un·​bal·​anced ˌən-ˈbal-ən(t)st 

1

: not in a state of balance

2

: not completely sane

3

: not adjusted so as to make credits equal to debits

an unbalanced account

Medical Definition

unbalanced

adjective

un·​bal·​anced ˌən-ˈbal-ən(t)st 

: mentally disordered : affected with mental illness

an unbalanced mind