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

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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

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 Milkweed tends to thrive in transitional areas, such as fallow fields, unkempt lawns, and the edges of highways. — Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026 Today, some bright spots aside, the Art Deco District’s historic commercial spine is a drab length of vacant and unkempt storefronts, smoke shops, liquor stores, fast-food outlets, cheap T-shirt emporia and other varieties of tourist trap. — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026 But a jumble of mismatched pillows will create a chaotic and unkempt space. — Kristin Hohenadel, The Spruce, 18 July 2026 The vacant lot in College Town looks a little overgrown but more lush than unkempt. — Matt Baker, New York Times, 17 July 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
  • Football is a messy game with far too many variables for one statistic to ever fully grasp.
    — Austin Mock, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The districts' policies are part of a messy patchwork of new laws and guidelines that have spread across the United States, leaving inconsistent rules state-by-state, or even district-by-district.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of messy
Adjective
  • But a 17-point win masked how off-kilter and sloppy the offense looked against the overmatched Huskies.
    — John Talty, Vanity Fair, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Vaughn Grissom drove in four runs, rookie Walbert Ureña pitched seven strong innings and the Los Angeles Angels ended a seven-game losing streak with a 10-1 victory over the sloppy New York Yankees on Monday night.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of sloppy
Adjective
  • Local officials said the scene on the ground was chaotic, with multiple people taken to area hospitals.
    — Chandelis Duster, NPR, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Gilbertson’s involvement in the ports grew out of a series of chaotic mergers that in the 1990s led to endless disputes among shippers and the railroads about whose cargo would move first.
    — John Lippert, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of chaotic
Adjective
  • Jesse Olstead, a twenty-nine-year-old with shaggy brown hair, kept stopping by the box to check the jump list.
    — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • There’s little tension or drive, just shaggy scenes about paranoia, trust and hope.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 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
  • People were filthy in so many ways, so Mike really wrote that in.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2026
  • While sinks can become filthy from soap splatters and dirty hands, toilets need cleaning for very different reasons.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of filthy
Adjective
  • Pruning isn’t required, but helps shape the plant, boost growth, and prevent leggy, untidy stems.
    — Heather Bien, The Spruce, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Bäck’s film prefers untidy personal drama to a tidy moral verdict.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 10 Aug. 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 9 Sep. 2026.

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