unkempt

adjective

un·​kempt ˌən-ˈkem(p)t 

1

: not combed

unkempt hair

2

: deficient in order or neatness

unkempt individuals

unkempt hotel rooms

also : rough, unpolished

unkempt prose

Synonyms of unkempt

• messy
• chaotic
• littered
• filthy
• sloppy
• confused
• cluttered
• disheveled

Examples of unkempt in a Sentence

She wore rumpled clothing and her hair was unkempt.

an unkempt and cluttered room

Recent Examples on the Web

Beneath Lamb’s unkempt appearance, crude manners, noxious flatulence, and stinging remarks lies one of the sharpest minds in MI5 and a man fiercely protective of his brood of misfits. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Aug. 2026

The Society was a sprawling campus on the Adyar River, its peaceful walking paths dotted with old buildings and gently unkempt trees. — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026

Also in July, following a tenant’s eviction, the NYPD and ASPCA discovered nine dead cats inside the filthy, unkempt Queens apartment. — Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026

Milkweed tends to thrive in transitional areas, such as fallow fields, unkempt lawns, and the edges of highways. — Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English unkemd, unkempt, from un- + kembed, kempt, past participle of kemben to comb, from Old English cemban; akin to Old High German chempen to comb, Old English camb comb — more at comb

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for unkempt

• attempt
• contempt
• exempt
• preempt
• empt
• tempt
• nonexempt

Kids Definition

unkempt

adjective

un·​kempt ˌən-ˈkem(p)t 

1

: not combed

2

: lacking in order or neatness : untidy