adjective
Uncommon
unused
uhn-YOOZD
Unused (adjective) means not put to use. Example: “The gift card sat unused in her wallet for a year.”
adjective
1
Not put to use.
"The gift card sat unused in her wallet for a year."
"Most of the rooms in the old hotel stood unused all winter."
"Please return any unused tickets to the office by Friday."
2
Not familiar or accustomed to something.
"I am unused to the dark nights of the countryside."
"He was unused to the noise of the city after years in the countryside."
"She was unused to getting up so early at weekends."
"The new recruits were unused to hard physical work."
How to use unused
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither never put to use, or not used to (not accustomed to) something.
Common mistake
The two senses are pronounced slightly differently in careful speech but written the same — context makes the meaning clear.
Common pairings
unused to
sit unused
remain unused
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more unused
- Superlative
- most unused
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The gift card sat _____ in her wallet for a year.
Etymology
From un- (\"not\") plus used.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for unused
See all rhymes for unused →Frequently asked questions
What does “unused” mean?
The word “unused” means not put to use. In plain terms, either never put to use, or not used to (not accustomed to) something.
How do you pronounce “unused”?
“Unused” is pronounced uhn-YOOZD (/ʌnˈjuzd/ in IPA).
How do you use “unused” in a sentence?
Here is “unused” used in a sentence: “The gift card sat unused in her wallet for a year.”
What part of speech is “unused”?
“Unused” is an adjective.
Is “unused” a common word?
“Unused” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “unused” have?
“Unused” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: not put to use.
What is the difference between unused and used?
Unused describes something that has never been put into service or has not been used for its intended purpose, such as an unused ticket or unused land. Used indicates the item has already served its function at least once. The distinction matters for products, resources, and legal or financial contexts like refunds.
What does it mean when someone is unused to something?
When applied to people, unused means not familiar or accustomed to a particular situation, such as being unused to cold weather or unused to public speaking. This sense is usually followed by 'to' plus a noun or gerund, as in 'unused to waiting.'
Is unused the same as unaccustomed?
They overlap closely in the sense describing a lack of familiarity with something, and are often interchangeable, as in 'unused to criticism' versus 'unaccustomed to criticism.' However, unused also has a separate, more common meaning of an object simply never having been utilized, which unaccustomed does not share.
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