: an ignorant or underprivileged group : rabble
—usually used with great
the great unwashed
Examples of unwashed in a Sentence
Adjective
a sink full of unwashed dishes
a TV producer who knew what the unwashed masses wanted—and unhesitatingly gave it to them
Noun
Aunt Edna was fond of snootily reminding us that we need not take our manners from the great unwashed.
Recent Examples on the Web
Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 31 Dec. 2024
Besides the health concerns, unwashed skin simply doesn’t look its best.
—Lauryn Higgins, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
Understandably, it’s gated off for us, the unwashed masses.
—Geoffrey Morrison, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
The restaurant was in violation of 12 standards, including unwashed fruit and food stored on the floor.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unwashed
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
Another option to assess training intensity is to look at how the unwashed masses train: to sift through reams of data looking for the patterns and variables that predict the best race performances.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 31 Dec. 2024
Besides the health concerns, unwashed skin simply doesn’t look its best.
—Lauryn Higgins, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
Understandably, it’s gated off for us, the unwashed masses.
—Geoffrey Morrison, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
The restaurant was in violation of 12 standards, including unwashed fruit and food stored on the floor.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unwashed
Cite this Entry
“Unwashed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unwashed. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share