unprepared

Meanings

1. 1adjectivenot comparable

   Not ready for something that happens or is going to happen.

   Grammar: Often followed by 'for' to say what you are not ready for: unprepared for the exam.

   Patterns

   • be unprepared for something
   • feel unprepared
   • leave someone unprepared

   She was completely unprepared for the difficult questions in the interview.

   The team felt unprepared for the sudden change in weather.

   His lack of study left him unprepared for the final test.

2. 2adjectivenot comparable

   Not having been made ready in advance; done without preparation.

   Grammar: Used before a noun to describe something done without planning: an unprepared speech.

   Patterns

   • unprepared speech
   • unprepared remarks
   • unprepared meal

   He gave an unprepared speech that still impressed everyone.

   The unprepared meal tasted surprisingly good.

   Her unprepared remarks caused some confusion.

Common combinations

unprepared for

They were unprepared for the heavy traffic.

completely unprepared

I felt completely unprepared for the presentation.

catch someone unprepared

The surprise quiz caught me unprepared.

unprepared speech

His unprepared speech was full of mistakes.

Synonyms and how they differ

unready

More formal and less common; 'unprepared' is the everyday choice.

ill-prepared

Stronger and more critical, suggesting poor or inadequate preparation.

Opposites

Word family

prepare verb

To make something or someone ready.

preparation noun

The act of getting ready.

prepared adjective

Ready for something.

Commonly confused: unprepared or unpreparedness?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “unprepared”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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