unwashed

1 of 2

adjective

un·​washed ˌən-ˈwȯsht 

-ˈwäsht

1

: not cleaned with or as if with soap and water

a sink full of unwashed dishes

2

: ignorant, plebeian

the unwashed masses

unwashedness noun

unwashed

2 of 2

noun

old-fashioned + humorous

: an ignorant or underprivileged group : rabble

—usually used with great

the great unwashed

Synonyms of unwashed

Adjective

• low
• lumpen
• humble
• plebeian
• proletarian
• lower-class
• lowly
• ignoble
• poor
• vulgar
• low-life
• inferior

Noun

• masses
• rabble
• populace
• public
• proletariat
• people
• trash

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

Adjective

Whatever its former luxury, the boat now had cabins crammed with four-person bunks and an atmosphere thick with the scent of unwashed bodies and the steam of rations. —Kevin Maurer, The Atlantic, 6 June 2026

The scene was genuinely awful to watch, but the movie—a story of plague, passion, period costumes, and an unwashed man in a tunic skipping town to cure writer’s block—ended up thrilling us; the portrayal of two creative minds working together (and apart) was, oddly, familiar. —Literary Hub, 2 June 2026

Refrigerate, unwashed, in a plastic bag in crisper drawer up to 7 days. —Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 1 June 2026

His clothes were torn, unwashed. —Ayşegül Savaş, New Yorker, 24 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1830, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing unwashed

• the (great) unwashed

Rhymes for unwashed

• brainwashed
• whitewashed
• quashed
• sloshed
• squashed
• washed