unready
adjective
un·ready
ˌən-ˈre-dē 
unreadier; unreadiest
: not prepared or ready
unready to go to college
My catcher … seemed unready; through the openings in his mask I could just discern a look that mingled confusion and distress.—
Ejner Jensen
Ejner JensenI'm like a jailbird after a long stretch: unready for life, resentful of the separation, nostalgic for the chums I'd been locked up with …—John le Carré
John le Carré
unreadiness
noun
Examples of unready in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After some past Cliburn winners proved unready for immediate exposure with top orchestras in major concert halls, the sponsoring foundation more recently has tended to favor early bookings with smaller-city orchestras and recital series.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, 30 Aug. 2023
If a tropical town like Lahaina can burn, which other cities are also at risk—and totally unready for it?
—Matt Simon, WIRED, 15 Aug. 2023
After 9/11, many within the U.S. national security establishment worried that, following decades of preparation for confronting conventional enemies, Washington was unready for the challenge posed by an unconventional adversary such as al Qaeda.
—Audrey Kurth Cronin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Feb. 2015
And yet the show is purpose-built not to elevate or to celebrate Winbush but to somewhat ruthlessly pull apart the ways in which she might be made to look unready for the job and unsteady on her feet.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 10 July 2023
Still, the effort shows the administration is unready to give up on the policy.
—Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff and Corinne Dorsey, The Washington Post, Anchorage Daily News, 1 July 2023
As Beth, Sullivan delivers depth as the problem sister unready for the responsibilities thrust upon her and blanching at the destruction unfolding around her.
—Olivia McCormack, Washington Post, 19 Apr. 2023
Green is good to go, red is unready.
—James Brooks, Anchorage Daily News, 10 July 2021
There’s nothing more annoying than returning home after a long day, only to get unready and realize that your waterproof mascara or long-lasting lipstick is nearly impossible to remove.
—Natalie Alcala, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Apr. 2023
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Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, 30 Aug. 2023
If a tropical town like Lahaina can burn, which other cities are also at risk—and totally unready for it?
—Matt Simon, WIRED, 15 Aug. 2023
After 9/11, many within the U.S. national security establishment worried that, following decades of preparation for confronting conventional enemies, Washington was unready for the challenge posed by an unconventional adversary such as al Qaeda.
—Audrey Kurth Cronin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Feb. 2015
And yet the show is purpose-built not to elevate or to celebrate Winbush but to somewhat ruthlessly pull apart the ways in which she might be made to look unready for the job and unsteady on her feet.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 10 July 2023
Still, the effort shows the administration is unready to give up on the policy.
—Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff and Corinne Dorsey, The Washington Post, Anchorage Daily News, 1 July 2023
As Beth, Sullivan delivers depth as the problem sister unready for the responsibilities thrust upon her and blanching at the destruction unfolding around her.
—Olivia McCormack, Washington Post, 19 Apr. 2023
Green is good to go, red is unready.
—James Brooks, Anchorage Daily News, 10 July 2021
There’s nothing more annoying than returning home after a long day, only to get unready and realize that your waterproof mascara or long-lasting lipstick is nearly impossible to remove.
—Natalie Alcala, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Apr. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unready.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of unready was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near unready
Cite this Entry
“Unready.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unready. Accessed 29 Sep. 2023.
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