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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unkempt
On Ocean Drive where the Art Deco hotels still have spectacular ocean views but have mostly small, unkempt rooms.
—
Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
Mitski is the writer of these songs, but the speaker is someone else, a reclusive woman who resides in an unkempt house.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2026
This slow-growing columnar cactus looks striking in a pot because it’s covered in white, wooly spines that look like unkempt hair.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2026
It should be noted that Ruffalo’s detective is unkempt in direct proportion to the way Hemsworth wears a tailored black suit.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unkempt
Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
Mitski is the writer of these songs, but the speaker is someone else, a reclusive woman who resides in an unkempt house.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2026
This slow-growing columnar cactus looks striking in a pot because it’s covered in white, wooly spines that look like unkempt hair.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2026
It should be noted that Ruffalo’s detective is unkempt in direct proportion to the way Hemsworth wears a tailored black suit.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unkempt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unkempt
Adjective
-
Pfizer outbid Novo Nordisk for Metsera in a messy M&A fight last year that involved dueling lawsuits and anticompetitive claims.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
7 May 2026
-
While mixtures of two or three metals were messy and unstable, the five-metal combination paradoxically self-organized into a single, uniform product, streamlining 31 possible chemical outcomes into a single, precise nanocrystal.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Marlins were sloppy early, committing two fielding errors (by left fielder Stowers and pitcher Anthony Bender).—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
6 May 2026
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Now, that doesn’t excuse Amad’s extremely sloppy pass, straight to Dominik Szoboszlai, who ran through unchecked to score.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
His earliest mature paintings, often filled with snarling creatures arranged in chaotic formations, started to include monochromatic backgrounds that became a staple in his art.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
11 May 2026
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Alongside the duo’s elevation, the raging crowds for Yeat’s live shows became both electric and chaotic.—
Miki Hellerbach,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
Inside, piles of white fiber extracted from the plants’ leaves awaited combing, destined for everything from handbags to the shaggy chandeliers that have made Damman a rising design star.—
Ingrid Abramovitch,
Architectural Digest,
6 May 2026
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Mix with a fork, adding more ice water by the tablespoonful as needed, just until a shaggy dough comes together.—
Andy Baraghani,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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In the past, her songs were so littered with personal details that listening felt voyeuristic.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
31 Mar. 2026
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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
Adjective
-
Yellowing leaves can indicate overwatering, while wrinkled leaves can point to underwatering.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Then downstairs in the filthy little basement, where there's the stone butt carved into the wall, people knew exactly what to do.—
Matt Ortile,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 May 2026
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Strong supports the closing of Men’s Central Jail and said the department needed to look at medical care, filthy living conditions and a lack of healthy food and clean water.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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The expansion of the humanitarian system was untidy and asymmetric, driven by the organizational self-interest of the bigger international NGOs and UN agencies involved in crisis response and their desire for greater market share.—
Time,
Time,
26 Feb. 2026
-
An early version of the best dessert in the house was a great-tasting but untidy wet block of orange cake the size of a solitaire deck with a ping-pong scoop of chocolate ice cream.—
Mike Sutter,
San Antonio Express-News,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unkempt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unkempt. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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