unkempt

adjective

ˌən-ˈkem(p)t How to pronounce unkempt (audio)
Definition of unkemptnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of unkempt His voice is raspy, and the once-cleanly cut soul patch that defined his look is scraggly and unkempt. — Levi Weaver, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026 Just across the sidewalk from the West Martello Tower, a Civil War-era fort where the Garden Club is housed, lies an unkempt field of grass, worn out by dehydration and footsteps. — Oliver Wu, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2026 Beneath Lamb’s unkempt appearance, crude manners, noxious flatulence, and stinging remarks lies one of the sharpest minds in MI5 and a man fiercely protective of his brood of misfits. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Aug. 2026 Also in July, following a tenant’s eviction, the NYPD and ASPCA discovered nine dead cats inside the filthy, unkempt Queens apartment. — Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unkempt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unkempt
  1. messy
  2. sloppy
  3. chaotic
  4. shaggy
  5. littered
  6. wrinkled
  7. filthy
  8. untidy
Adjective
  • Not unlikable women, but messy women, contradictory women, women who get things done their own way.
    — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 13 Nov. 2026
  • Ebenezer marks Depp’s return to studio fare following negative headlines surrounding his and ex-wife Amber Heard‘s messy 2022 defamation trial and abuse allegations that Depp has denied.
    — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 13 Nov. 2026
Definition of messy
Adjective
  • With it, blustery and sloppy conditions are expected from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic and into coastal parts of the Northeast later in the week.
    — Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2026
  • In one of the ugliest, sloppiest games of the NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys somehow squeaked out a 27-23 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday to move to 4-5 on the season.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of sloppy
Adjective
  • Then came the chaotic climate phenomenon, El Niño, that has intensified heavy rain and floods.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 2026
  • During my uncle’s busy season, a large number of young men and women stayed with us to help, and the house would become as chaotic as a battlefield.
    — Yasushi Inoue, New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of chaotic
Adjective
  • Two shaggy ebony draft horses pulled a vintage sleigh along a powdery path that hugged the shores of frozen Lake Louise.
    — Jen Murphy, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Nov. 2026
  • The actor and producer has swapped the shaggy, caramel-toned lengths of recent months for a razor-sharp, jaw-grazing cut in a cool-toned shade of blonde.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of shaggy
Adjective
  • In the past, her songs were so littered with personal details that listening felt voyeuristic.
    — Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 31 Mar. 2026
  • The series does not touch on the tabloid attention that followed the Beckhams in 2004, when it was alleged that David had an affair with his personal assistant, Rebecca Loos, and the many further accusations of cheating that littered gossip columns after.
    — Scarlett Harris, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
Definition of littered
Adjective
  • Participants with wet but non-wrinkled fingers required significantly more force to maintain the same hold; their hands were working harder to do less.
    — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
  • Yellowing leaves can indicate overwatering, while wrinkled leaves can point to underwatering.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 8 Feb. 2026
Definition of wrinkled
Adjective
  • And the women — exhausted, filthy, scared, and sometimes wounded themselves — rose to it every time.
    — Leah Garrett, New York Daily News, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Los Angeles also struggles with an ongoing homelessness crisis — filthy encampments and rows of rusting RVs are a common sight in many neighborhoods.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of filthy
Adjective
  • The cumulative effect can be untidy, but what would be truer to an artist in a moment of flux?
    — Walden Green, Pitchfork, 11 Nov. 2026
  • At some point, your device will need to be charged, but the one thing that can quickly make a space look untidy is messy cable management.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of untidy

Browse Nearby Words

unjustness
unkempt
unkept
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Cite this Entry

“Unkempt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unkempt. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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