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
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Recent Examples of unkempt
Tidy outdoor areas where insects and pests tend to hide, such as wood piles, leaf piles, overgrowth, or unkempt landscaping.
—
Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 30 Jan. 2026
Helen gets defensive when those around her express concern about her behavior and her unkempt conditions.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026
Many episodes featured Stanger giving tough love to unkempt potential matches and the picky millionaires.
—Emy Lacroix, PEOPLE, 22 Jan. 2026
Beyond this, there are some serious examples of how Maryland’s unkempt voter rolls can permanently damage individuals’ careers and livelihoods.
—Nicolee Ambrose, Baltimore Sun, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unkempt
Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 30 Jan. 2026
Helen gets defensive when those around her express concern about her behavior and her unkempt conditions.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026
Many episodes featured Stanger giving tough love to unkempt potential matches and the picky millionaires.
—Emy Lacroix, PEOPLE, 22 Jan. 2026
Beyond this, there are some serious examples of how Maryland’s unkempt voter rolls can permanently damage individuals’ careers and livelihoods.
—Nicolee Ambrose, Baltimore Sun, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unkempt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unkempt
Adjective
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That’s something that the broader AI industry has so far struggled to do, partly because LLMs are typically trained on vast, messy datasets scraped from across the internet, where ownership, consent and individual contributions from millions of sources are nearly impossible to track.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
19 Mar. 2026
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Over the years, messy planning has led to controversial, costly golden parachutes, shareholder lawsuits, a stockholder revolt and a bitter, distracting proxy fight.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Then, just to flub any chance for enjoying some dumb fun with a skilled cast hamming it up, the sloppy story grinds the all-too-predictable, all-too-lame whodunit to a halt, as well.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
18 Mar. 2026
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In other cases, victims have slammed the department for sloppy redactions that revealed their sensitive information.—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In recent years, south suburban Dolton and Thornton Township have become synonymous with political dysfunction — chaotic public meetings, allegations of financial impropriety, and residents stuck with deficits and unpaid bills.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
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At Chicago O’Hare International Airport, a CNN reporter saw chaotic scenes, with passengers shuffling from line to line.—
Amanda Musa,
CNN Money,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But where a female-friendship show like Tuca & Bertie falls into the trap of presenting relatability at the expense of creativity, YOLO introduces a dynamic that is depraved, boozy, druggy, shaggy, and totally amoral.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
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The look was completed with a side part and shaggy bangs.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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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
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Cigarette butts are the most littered item on the planet.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Yellowing leaves can indicate overwatering, while wrinkled leaves can point to underwatering.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The filmmaker shows a strong handle over the film’s fanciful tone and fitfully filthy sense of humor, and he’s credited with composing the film’s score full of squawking brass instruments and skittish strings in addition to writing, directing and editing.—
Stephen Saito,
Variety,
16 Mar. 2026
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But there’s a difference between a dirty deal and a filthy deal.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
15 Mar. 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
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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 22 Mar. 2026.
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