unprepared

adjective

un·​pre·​pared ˌən-pri-ˈperd 

: not prepared

was unprepared for class

… they were woefully unprepared to take on the responsibilities expected of them.

—Richard M. Ketchum

unpreparedness

ˌən-pri-ˈper-əd-nəs 

also -ˈperd-nəs

noun

Synonyms of unprepared

• impromptu
• improvised
• improvisational

Examples of unprepared in a Sentence

an obviously unprepared acceptance speech by the surprise winner

Recent Examples on the Web

The song was born of the realization that, as a professional entertainer and family breadwinner from the age of 9 — born to loving but woefully unprepared teen parents — Becky stepped in as head of the household. — Suzy Exposito, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

But an actor who came up on huge blockbusters like Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean was unprepared for the speed at which the German auteur was prepared to move. — Nate Jones, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026

But the filmmaker did express concern about Hollywood being unprepared for the new technology. — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2026

Leaders often feel unprepared to support them, impacting talent retention. — Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1528, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing unprepared

• catch unawares/unprepared/by surprise

Rhymes for unprepared

• aired
• bared
• blared
• caird
• cared
• chaired
• dared
• erred
• fared
• flared
• glared
• haired