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 The floor sink beneath the 3-comp sink was draining slowly and observed unclean. — Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado july 3, Sacbee.com, 3 July 2026 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 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
  • His new documentary takes on the cryptocurrency industry, portraying the controversial digital currency as corrupt and in dire need of more regulations.
    — Brent Lang, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026
  • At its core, the crime known as huachicol fiscal is a vast tax evasion scheme centered on falsified paperwork — and corrupt officials.
    — Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of corrupt
Adjective
  • Being outdoors, they’re exposed to all sorts of dust, pollen, dirt, bird droppings, spider webs, leaves, sap, weather, and pollutants carried by the wind, which can leave a filthy coating on your shutters.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Cleaning our planet’s filthy ports could one day get a boost from a creature with a very messy nickname.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 30 July 2026
Definition of filthy
Adjective
  • People without risk factors generally do not get sick or display symptoms from Candida auris.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The river boat passenger had become sick and disembarked nearly three weeks ago in Pimu, in the province of Mongala, more than 1,000 kilometers from Kinshasa along the Congo River, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said on Thursday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of sick
Adjective
  • Some of the booths included food businesses including bakeries and lemonade stands and a dirty soda booth.
    — David Sharos, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Now condemned and boarded up, cordoned off by sagging tape, dirty roll-up door set to adorn the front pages of tomorrow’s papers.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of dirty
Adjective
  • Devastating fires across Canada have blown smoke deep into dense US population centers in recent weeks and degraded air quality.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Meet the chicken kidney sponge, a true ecosystem engineer that could use its filter-feeding power to clean the degraded habitats in and around busy harbors.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 30 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
  • The popular set tends to sell quickly, so consider grabbing one while fall-favorite shades like dusty olive, terracotta, and mauve are still in stock.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The wind is whistling through an enormous, dusty construction site, surrounded by highways, office towers and a sports arena.
    — Maria Aspan, NPR, 4 Aug. 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unclean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unclean. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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