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

Adding McMahon makes the Yankees a bit unbalanced in lineup handedness, something Boone obsesses over. —Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 26 July 2025

Officials in Brussels are prepared to stomach an unbalanced agreement that favors the US if that’s what is required to break the impasse before the deadline. —Sydney Lake, Fortune, 21 July 2025

Because clearly, the scales remain severely unbalanced. —Stephanie Kuzydym, The Courier-Journal, 17 July 2025

This familiarity bias led to a concentrated, unbalanced portfolio. —Gianluca Sidoti, Forbes.com, 7 July 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