1
as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
an unkempt and cluttered room
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sloppy
lacking neatness in dress or person
the stereotype of the unkempt but brilliant scientist
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of unkempt
Wallace’s bob was poker-straight, whereas Emily’s unkempt, messy waves boast plenty of texture.
—
Alice Cary, Vogue, 3 Feb. 2023
Armed patrols man the streets, where unkempt survivors take jobs burning the dead and cleaning up waste to scrape by.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 16 Jan. 2023
Oh, there's the unkempt west side near Red Bank Avenue, known as the Thickets, where those seeking or selling drugs can sometimes be found after dark, and where there's the occasional mugging, but the Thickets is only three acres of 740.
—Clark Collis, EW.com, 23 Jan. 2023
His unkempt bedroom is nearly a deal-breaker, as are his clumsy attempts at foreplay.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 21 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for unkempt
Alice Cary, Vogue, 3 Feb. 2023
Armed patrols man the streets, where unkempt survivors take jobs burning the dead and cleaning up waste to scrape by.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 16 Jan. 2023
Oh, there's the unkempt west side near Red Bank Avenue, known as the Thickets, where those seeking or selling drugs can sometimes be found after dark, and where there's the occasional mugging, but the Thickets is only three acres of 740.
—Clark Collis, EW.com, 23 Jan. 2023
His unkempt bedroom is nearly a deal-breaker, as are his clumsy attempts at foreplay.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 21 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for unkempt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unkempt
Adjective
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Worn with the wrong pieces, the look can seem messy or ill-defined.—
René Chávez Esparza,
Glamour,
17 June 2025
-
As for her glam, the jewelry designer tossed her hair back into a messy bun with strands of hair to frame her face.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
17 June 2025
Adjective
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There were loud boos at half-time, a smattering in the closing minutes and a few more at the final whistle as England played without any real intensity, were sloppy in possession and struggled to break down a team more than happy to sit everyone behind the ball.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
8 June 2025
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Though her level of play has vacillated between sharp and sloppy throughout the tournament, Gauff was mostly dialed in against Boisson, who captivated the Parisian crowds in recent days.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
7 June 2025
Adjective
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He was reinstated after a chaotic week that included a mass employee revolt and a brief stint at Microsoft.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
20 June 2025
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The chaotic scenes unfolded when agents deployed rubber bullets, tear gas and flash bangs to disperse the crowd who had swarmed the compound, according to video captured by Turning Point USA’s Frontlines.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2025
Adjective
-
Head out onto the water to sail around the archipelago, keeping your eyes peeled for breaching minke whales and bearded seals, as well as shaggy muskoxen—one of the few megafauna to survive the Ice Age—and Arctic wolves patrolling the shoreline.—
Chloe Berge,
Outside Online,
17 June 2025
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For the occasion, Taylor-Johnson kept his curls shaggy.—
Starr Bowenbank,
People.com,
16 June 2025
Adjective
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Troubled Factories: The medications came mostly from plants in India where inspectors found contaminated drugs, filthy labs and falsified records.—
Debbie Cenziper,
ProPublica,
17 June 2025
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The next year, his fame reached a new echelon after the release of Pumping Iron, a docudrama that highlighted Schwarzenegger's strange charisma and filthy sense of humor.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
12 June 2025
Adjective
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And being untidy is considered a personal failing in our culture, a breach of the moral code.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
21 May 2025
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Even her confession of her untidy bathroom eschews the pedestal of celebrity.—
Jessica Ourisman,
Forbes.com,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Despite decades of existence, Jack in the Box’s sales remain stagnant, its strategy appears confused, and investors are becoming increasingly uneasy.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2025
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Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, was left confused by the team’s strategy call — having gone long on the opening stint, but never seemed like a genuine threat to the leaders and lacking the outright pace of Lando Norris on the same strategy.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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The other near certainty in Lead Actor should be Gary Oldman, who anchors Slow Horses with a slovenly charisma that is, against all odds, deeply watchable.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
24 May 2025
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Related Stories The movie O’Neil has put together out of this footage, which premiered last night at Cannes, is by any real-world standard a slovenly and undisciplined piece of work.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
19 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unkempt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unkempt. Accessed 25 Jun. 2025.
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