Standard Lemma guide

unpack

verb · 6 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.

  • /ʌnˈpæk/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -æk
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 N P AE1 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To remove from a package or container, particularly with respect to items that had previously been arranged closely and securely in a pack.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • They didn't have time to unpack their bags before going out to dinner.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To empty containers that had been packed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • They didn't have time to unpack before going to dinner.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To analyze a concept or a text; to explain.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To undergo separation of its features into distinct segments.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To decompress (data).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Narrower terms: zip

6

verb

Meaning 6

remove from its packing

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • unpack the presents

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: take out

Antonyms: pack

Broader terms: remove, take, take away, withdraw

Narrower terms: bring out, get out, unbox, break out, uncrate

History

Etymology

From Middle English unpakken, equivalent to un- + pack. Compare Saterland Frisian uutpakje (“to unpack”), West Frisian útpakke (“to unpack”), Dutch uitpakken (“to unpack”), German auspacken (“to unpack”).

Across languages

Translations

31 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: разопаковам (razopakovam) — to remove from a package
  • Catalan: desempaquetar — to remove from a package
  • Catalan: desembalar — to remove from a package
  • Chinese Mandarin: 拆開 /拆开 (chāikāi) — to remove from a package
  • Chinese Mandarin: 解開 /解开 (jiěkāi) — to remove from a package
  • Czech: vybalit — to remove from a package
  • Czech: rozbalit — to remove from a package
  • Finnish: purkaa — to remove from a package
  • French: déballer — to remove from a package
  • French: dépaqueter — to remove from a package
  • German: entpacken — to remove from a package
  • German: auspacken — to remove from a package
  • Hungarian: kicsomagol — to remove from a package
  • Irish: díphacáil — to remove from a package
  • Irish: folmhaigh — to remove from a package
  • Italian: sballare — to remove from a package
  • Italian: disimballare — to remove from a package
  • Japanese: 解く (hodoku) — to remove from a package
  • Norwegian: pakke opp — to remove from a package
  • Norwegian: pakke ut — to remove from a package
  • Polish: rozpakowywać — to remove from a package
  • Polish: rozpakować — to remove from a package
  • Portuguese: desempacotar — to remove from a package
  • Russian: распако́вывать (raspakóvyvatʹ) — to remove from a package
  • Russian: распакова́ть (raspakovátʹ) — to remove from a package
  • Spanish: desempacar — to remove from a package
  • Spanish: deshacer — to remove from a package
  • Spanish: desempaquetar — to remove from a package
  • Swedish: packa upp — to remove from a package
  • Turkish: boşaltmak — to remove from a package
  • Welsh: dadbacio — to remove from a package