as in inexperienced
lacking in adult experience or maturity
the unripened thoughts of a young writer with limited life experiences
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Recent Examples of unripened
Cottage cheese is a fresh, unripened cheese known for its mild and tangy flavor and distinctive curds.
—
Daryl Austin, USA Today, 29 July 2025
Benin explains that Drizzle is made with small unripened olives, harvested in the fall before the rainy season in Spain, where the olives are sourced, so there’s minimal water and oil inside.
—Andrew Watman, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
Equally delicious is her banana cou cou, smashed unripened banana topped with lamb gravy.
—Patrick Scott, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
The skinny on capers For the uninitiated, capers are the unripened, pea-sized buds of the prickly caper bush, or Capparis spinosa.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024
The new Olallieberry Nocino sinks the inky berries in an unripened walnut liqueur with nutmeg, allspice and cloves.
—Becky Duffett, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Dec. 2023
In addition to being tasty (locals fry the plant’s unripened flower heads in olive oil and garlic, and add them to omelets, meat and chickpea dishes), akkoub is rich in calcium and iron.
—Emily Matchar, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 July 2022
Cream cheese is made from cow’s milk and is unripened.
—Washington Post, 30 Nov. 2021
Just place the unripened avocados in a paper bag with a banana or an apple, fold over the top and leave it on the counter.
—Paul Stephen, San Antonio Express-News, 15 Mar. 2021
Daryl Austin, USA Today, 29 July 2025
Benin explains that Drizzle is made with small unripened olives, harvested in the fall before the rainy season in Spain, where the olives are sourced, so there’s minimal water and oil inside.
—Andrew Watman, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
Equally delicious is her banana cou cou, smashed unripened banana topped with lamb gravy.
—Patrick Scott, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
The skinny on capers For the uninitiated, capers are the unripened, pea-sized buds of the prickly caper bush, or Capparis spinosa.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024
The new Olallieberry Nocino sinks the inky berries in an unripened walnut liqueur with nutmeg, allspice and cloves.
—Becky Duffett, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Dec. 2023
In addition to being tasty (locals fry the plant’s unripened flower heads in olive oil and garlic, and add them to omelets, meat and chickpea dishes), akkoub is rich in calcium and iron.
—Emily Matchar, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 July 2022
Cream cheese is made from cow’s milk and is unripened.
—Washington Post, 30 Nov. 2021
Just place the unripened avocados in a paper bag with a banana or an apple, fold over the top and leave it on the counter.
—Paul Stephen, San Antonio Express-News, 15 Mar. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unripened
Adjective
-
Almost every hunt includes something the inexperienced would count a close call.—
Dr. C. E. Kuschel,
Outdoor Life,
9 Apr. 2026
-
In 2025, McLaren driver Lando Norris had a season that started very similar to Russell’s 2026, with a Melbourne victory in the class-leading car, only to be quickly overhauled by a more inexperienced teammate.—
Alex Kalinauckas,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
When a tight’s game’s final third arrived, the Pirates resembled an immature team.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Among other things, his fouling out in Game 3 of the 2024 Finals against the Celtics series in a semi-intentional fit of frustration was wildly immature for a great player in his sixth season.—
Tim Cowlishaw,
Dallas Morning News,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
All adolescent boys are exposed to the manosphere; not all spot its most notorious avatar driving through their city in a luxury car, as Alex recently did.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Approximately 16% of adolescent and young adult cancer survivors who stayed cancer-free for at least five years are at high risk, compared to about 12% of people in the same age group without cancer.—
Tesfaye Negussie,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, unripe bananas contain more fiber than ripe bananas.—
Merve Ceylan,
Health,
29 Dec. 2025
-
Green mangoes Like green bananas, green (unripe) mangoes offer resistant starch, antioxidants, and significantly less sugar than their ripe, orange counterparts.—
Dr. Steven Gundry,
CNBC,
21 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The virus is highly contagious and can infect nearly all young children, according to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID).—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The Hochsteins share two young children together.—
Anna McAllister,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unripened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unripened. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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