Link Centre Dictionary

unkempt

un·kempt

UK/ˌʌnˈkɛmpt/ US/ʌˈnkɛmpt/ uncommon

adjective

1.

not neatly combed

  • “wild unkempt hair”
Similar
2.

not neat or cared for; slovenly

  • “his unkempt appearance”
Similar
3.

not properly maintained

  • “an unkempt garden”
  • “native vistas and unkempt rambling paths”
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Origin

From earlier unkembed, unkemmed, from Middle English unkempt (“uncombed”), equivalent to un- + kempt. Compare Old Norse úkembdr (uncombed; unkempt"; whence Icelandic ókembdur), German ungekämmt (“unkempt”), Dutch ongekamd. More at kemb.

Phrases

  • untidy person

Related words

Word family

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.