unkempt
Adjective Satellite
- not neatly combed
- "wild unkempt hair"
- not properly maintained or cared for
- "an unkempt garden"
- "native vistas and unkempt rambling paths"
Adj
- Uncombed; dishevelled.
- Disorderly; untidy; messy; not kept up.
- Rough; unpolished
Adjective
- Untidy or messy in appearance; disheveled.
Examples
- His Scrabble rack looked unkempt, a jumble of letters awaiting organization.
- unkempt bedroom
Origin / Etymology
From earlier unkembed, unkemmed, from Middle English unkempt (“uncombed”), equivalent to un- + kempt. Compare Old Norse úkembdr (uncombed; unkempt"; > Icelandic ókembdur), German ungekämmt (“unkempt”), Dutch ongekamd. More at kemb.
Synonyms
bedraggled, blowsy, dishevelled, dowdy, dowdyish, down at heel, downgone, draggle-tailed, draggled, frowsy, frumpy, grotty, grufty, grungy, hashy, mangy, mean, out at the heels, piggy, qualifier, ragtag, ribby, schleppy, schlumpy, scratty, scrofulous, scroungy, scruffy, scrungy, seedy, shabby, slammocky, slatternly, slobbish, slobby, sloppy, slovenlike, slovenly, slummocky, sluttish, tacky, tore up, trampish, unfine, unkemmed, unkempt, unshaven
Scrabble Score: 15
unkempt: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Wordunkempt: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
unkempt: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary