unused

adjective

ˌən-ˈyüzd How to pronounce unused (audio)
Definition of unusednext
1
as in unadjusted
not having acquired a habit or tolerance the runner's performance suffered because he was unused to running at such high elevations

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2
as in new
recently made and never used before preferred to start with unused pencils

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3
as in dormant
not being in a state of use, activity, or employment is there an unused cubicle that the temp could work out of?

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unused Both buildings are now largely unused and have structural issues, according to Historic KC, requiring substantial investment for rehab and reuse. — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026 As Section 338 sat on the books unused for decades, Congress passed new trade laws. — ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026 City staff said the project could revitalize a building that has remained largely unused since the downtown library closed in 2011. — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026 Researchers says Minnesota has enough unused winter electric grid capacity to support over 2 million additional heat pumps. — Derek James, CBS News, 19 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unused
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unused
  1. unadjusted
  2. new
  3. dormant
  4. unadapted
  5. off
  6. unaccustomed
  7. vacant
  8. idle
Adjective
  • The company said its preliminary sales grew just 1% in the past quarter, and its unadjusted earnings per share fell 2% – both below the company’s forecasts.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
  • Failing to report a stock sale, using an unadjusted cost basis from Form 1099-B, double-reporting equity income, or overlooking AMT issues with incentive stock options can lead to IRS notices or unnecessary overpayment of tax.
    — Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 7 Feb. 2026
Definition of unadjusted
Adjective
  • While Usher was off basking in the afterglow of Confessions, maturing into a divorcé in the mid-2000s, the R&B world was already priming itself for a new-school successor.
    — Clover Hope, Pitchfork, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Many voters thank him ​for pulling Serbia from economic obscurity and orchestrating a period of sustained modernisation including new highways, railways, schools and hospitals.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of new
Adjective
  • The issues may have been lying dormant The vulnerabilities have been known about since at least 2024, according to the PHP Foundation.
    — Kaitlyn Huamani, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • So Hanawalt reactivated her dormant Facebook account and began scrolling through local horse sale groups.
    — Rachel Brodsky, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of dormant
Adjective
  • With more than 1,000 chapters still unadapted, the Straw Hats’ voyage could span many more seasons if the show maintains its audience and Netflix continues greenlighting new installments.
    — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 17 Mar. 2026
  • The works of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson had remained unadapted to feature film until Denzel Washington took on the challenge of bringing Fences to the big screen.
    — Kevin Jacobsen and Sammi Burke, EW.com, 17 Nov. 2023
Definition of unadapted
Adjective
  • There is no off day for travel after Friday’s game was postponed by rain.
    — Joe Reedy, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • There is no off day for travel after Friday's game was postponed by rain.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of off
Adjective
  • Parker said the piranha wouldn't have survived in Pennsylvania waters for very long, out of its natural habitat, and likely unaccustomed to the survival skills needed for the wild after living as a pet.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Disaster can strike in regions unaccustomed to their fury, as North Carolinians in the western end of the state painfully learned in 2024 as Hurricane Helene deluged the region.
    — Jamie Gold, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of unaccustomed
Adjective
  • The television ad begins with a dark video of an empty swing and the faint sound of children’s voices in the background, then shifts to footage of vacant pews inside a church.
    — Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The presidency in this Caribbean nation of 12 million has been vacant since the 2021 assassination of Jovenel Moïse.
    — Widlore Mérancourt, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of vacant
Adjective
  • Among the biggest changes in the country have to do with changes to corporate governance, including the encouragement of companies to eliminate idle cash and focus more on shareholder returns, that's meant to support growth.
    — Sarah Min, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Supply-chain congestion sometimes causes freight trains to sit idle, leaving them vulnerable to thieves in urban rail yards.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of idle

Browse Nearby Words

unusable
unused
unusual
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Cite this Entry

“Unused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unused. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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