unclean

adjective

ˌən-ˈklēn How to pronounce unclean (audio)
Definition of uncleannext
1
as in corrupt
having or showing lowered moral character or standards there's something unclean about this whole business

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in filthy
not clean a lackadaisical waiter who tried to set our table with smudged glasses and unclean silverware

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 unclean Despite the unclean baseball in the eighth, there were no shortage of excellent performances over the first seven innings. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 2 July 2026 The police report said that a woman at the residence, who was suffering a deep cut on her wrist and multiple cuts to her hand, alleged to police Thorpe entered the residence and got upset with the unclean condition in the home, the outlets reported. — Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026 Health inspectors found rodent droppings under the soda fountain and unclean traps. — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 June 2026 This reduces the amount of dirt tracking that happens when cleaning with an unclean item. — Natalia Gonzalez Blanco Serrano, The Spruce, 21 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for unclean
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unclean
  1. corrupt
  2. filthy
  3. sick
  4. dirty
  5. degraded
  6. stained
  7. dusty
  8. blackened
Adjective
  • Some explicitly backed his Democratic opponent, the legendarily corrupt Edwin Edwards.
    — James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 21 July 2026
  • According to some research, Hungary has been the most corrupt country in the EU for years now.
    — Tax Notes Staff, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of corrupt
Adjective
  • Dozens of people had spent almost a year living outside, filthy and exhausted, and for what?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
  • From shabby apartments to art experiments to filthy needles—with echoes of Patti Smith and Rebecca Makkai—Adler conjures an era of sorrow borne by too many, too young.
    — Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026
Definition of filthy
Adjective
  • Our founder has spent his career advocating for a shift from sick care to true health creation.
    — Billee Howard, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • Officials recommended wearing masks in crowded indoor settings, staying current on vaccinations, testing for the virus and remaining home when sick.
    — Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 25 July 2026
Definition of sick
Adjective
  • Spain versus Argentina in the final 24 hours later was never going to be a purists’ classic, but what unfolded was undoubtedly the dirtiest final since 2010, when the Spanish also faced aggressive, uncompromising opponents — the Netherlands.
    — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • Some Roomba models from as far back as 2004 can still be found in some homes, working away on dirty floors.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 20 July 2026
Definition of dirty
Adjective
  • Funding is also a problem, as the severely degraded local health system in eastern Congo, as well as NGOs, struggles to cope as Ebola spreads in remote rural areas.
    — Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 23 July 2026
  • Experts warn this serves as an early indicator for global food systems, stressing that degraded ecosystems worsen climate shocks.
    — Jamie Hailstone, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of degraded
Adjective
  • Cover the stained area with the paste, and rub it in with a sponge.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 19 July 2026
  • Victorian mansions that survived great storms and eras of change take up whole blocks, colossal buildings with stained glass windows and towering turrets.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 15 July 2026
Definition of stained
Adjective
  • Don’t make changes, and you’re accused of being a dusty, immovable relic that fights to maintain relevancy.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 23 July 2026
  • The 21st-century Red Sox have won four World Series championships, and Galehouse is just a dusty chapter in Red Sox history.
    — Steve Buckley, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of dusty
Adjective
  • The land, unfenced, abuts a bald blackened hillside that must be public land.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
Definition of blackened

Browse Nearby Words

unclassified
unclean
uncleaned
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Cite this Entry

“Unclean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unclean. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of unclean for Spanish Speakers

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