Standard Lemma guide

unready

adj · 3 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

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1

adj

Meaning 1

Not ready.

Not yet mature; not yet ripe.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • As for our apple supply, this year's crop is unready, and last year's stored crop is now exhausted, so we're temporarily embarrassed, I'm afraid.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: immature, unripe

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Not ready.

Not yet prepared.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The junior varsity team is unready for a serious competition; a lot of training remains to be done.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unprepared

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective

Meaning 3

not prepared or in a state of readiness; slow to understand or respond

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • she cursed her unready tongue

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: ready

History

Etymology

From Middle English unredy, equivalent to un- + ready. Compare Dutch ongereed and onbereid, German unbereit, Swedish oberedd.

Across languages

Translations

6 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: անպատրաստ (anpatrast) — not ready
  • Bulgarian: неподготвен (nepodgotven) — not ready
  • Ancient Greek: ἀπρόθυμος (apróthumos) — not ready
  • Irish: neamhullamh — not ready
  • Irish: anullamh — not ready
  • Latin: imparātus — not ready