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

• impromptu
• improvised
• improvisational

Examples of unprepared in a Sentence

an obviously unprepared acceptance speech by the surprise winner

Recent Examples on the Web

Shutdowns can delay contracts, squeeze liquidity, and reveal how unprepared many companies are to absorb shocks, Gainer said. —Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025

The challenges schools face While there is no federal data on how many public schools have air conditioning, many schools were built for cooler temperatures, and are unprepared for how our changing climate is making extreme heat days stretch further into the fall. —Simmone Shah, Time, 2 Oct. 2025

Now the workforce is wholly unprepared. —Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 1 Oct. 2025

The report highlighted that companies are unprepared and lack the infrastructure and oversight required to foster a smooth collaboration between human employees and autonomous AI agents. —Sawdah Bhaimiya aisha Ditta, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2025

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