Meaning & use
unbrushed
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Meaning
adjectivenot comparable
not having been cleaned or tidied with a brush, especially hair or teeth.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a linking verb: unbrushed hair; her hair was unbrushed.
Patterns
- unbrushed hair
- be unbrushed
- leave something unbrushed
He rushed out of the house with his hair still unbrushed.
The dentist could tell that her teeth were often unbrushed.
After the long flight, his suit looked creased and his shoes unbrushed.
Common combinations
- unbrushed hair
- She tied her unbrushed hair back in a quick ponytail.
- leave something unbrushed
- Don't leave your teeth unbrushed before bed.
- look unbrushed
- He looked unbrushed and tired after working all night.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unkempt
- Describes a general messy appearance, not just hair or teeth; unbrushed is narrower and points to a lack of brushing.
- messy
- A more general word for untidy things, while unbrushed specifically suggests no brush has been used.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: unbrushed or unwashed?
unbrushed vs unwashed
Unwashed means not cleaned with water, while unbrushed means not cleaned or tidied with a brush.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'unbrushed' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Unbrushed' is an adjective meaning not brushed, so it fits 'left his teeth unbrushed'. Option A wrongly uses it as a verb, and options B and C describe things that are not typically brushed (shoes are polished, cars are washed).
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “unbrushed”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.