Standard Lemma guide

unfledged

adj · verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈʌnflɛd͡ʒd/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌʌnˈflɛd͡ʒd/
  • General-American: /ˌʌnˈflɛd͡ʒd/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛdʒd

1

adj

Meaning 1

Not having feathers.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: apteric, featherless, unfeathered, unfletched

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Not having feathers.

Of a bird: not yet having developed its feathers and wings and become able to fly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: apteric, featherless, unfeathered, unfletched, callow

Antonyms: fledged

3

adj

Meaning 3

Of a person: not yet fully grown or mature; lacking experience, like a novice or tyro; immature, inexperienced; hence, of or relating to youth.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: callow, green, unfletched, experienceless, inexperienced, unexperienced, fresh, new, punk, pup, raw, strange, unpracticed, unseasoned, unseen, unversed

Antonyms: practiced, seasoned, versed, qualified, veteran, accomplished, adept, old, hardened, knowing the ropes

4

adj

Meaning 4

Of a thing: not yet fully developed; imperfect, incomplete, unfinished.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: full-fledged, full-blown, full-on

5

verb

Meaning 5

simple past and past participle of unfledge.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, participle, past

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective

Meaning 6

(of birds) not yet having developed feathers

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a small unfledged sparrow on the window sill

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: immature

Antonyms: fledged

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

young and inexperienced

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a fledgling enterprise
  • a fledgling skier
  • an unfledged lawyer

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fledgling, callow

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective satellite

Meaning 8

(of an arrow) not equipped with feathers

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • shot an unfledged arrow

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fledgeless, unvaned

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From un- (suffix meaning ‘not’) + fledged (“furnished with feathers or wings”, adjective).

From unfledge (“to remove feathers from (a bird)”) + -ed (suffix forming past tense forms of verbs).

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: höyhenetön — not having feathers
  • German: ungefiedert — not having feathers
  • Bulgarian: неоперен (neoperen) — of a bird: not yet having developed its feathers and wings and become able to fly
  • Dutch: ongevederd — of a bird: not yet having developed its feathers and wings and become able to fly
  • Finnish: höyhenetön — of a bird: not yet having developed its feathers and wings and become able to fly
  • German: ungefiedert — of a bird: not yet having developed its feathers and wings and become able to fly
  • German: (noch) nicht flügge — of a bird: not yet having developed its feathers and wings and become able to fly
  • Greek: άπτερος (ápteros) — of a bird: not yet having developed its feathers and wings and become able to fly
  • Irish: scallta — of a bird: not yet having developed its feathers and wings and become able to fly
  • Irish: gan cleiteacha — of a bird: not yet having developed its feathers and wings and become able to fly
  • Polish: nieopierzony — of a bird: not yet having developed its feathers and wings and become able to fly
  • Portuguese: implume — of a bird: not yet having developed its feathers and wings and become able to fly
  • Russian: неоперившийся (neoperivšijsja) — of a bird: not yet having developed its feathers and wings and become able to fly
  • Ukrainian: неопере́ний (neoperényj) — of a bird: not yet having developed its feathers and wings and become able to fly