unload
Americanverb (used with object)
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unloads,
present (3rd person singular)
-
unloaded,
past participle, past
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unloading
present participle
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to take the load from; remove the cargo or freight from.
to unload a truck; to unload a cart.
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to remove or discharge (a load, group of people, etc.).
to unload passengers.
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to remove the charge from (a firearm).
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to relieve of anything burdensome, oppressive, etc..
He unloaded his responsibilities.
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to get rid of (goods, shares of stock, etc.) by sale in large quantities.
verb (used without object)
-
unloads,
present (3rd person singular)
-
unloaded,
past participle, past
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unloading
present participle
-
to unload something.
-
Informal. to relieve one's stress by talking, confessing, or the like.
verb
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to remove a load or cargo from (a ship, lorry, etc)
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to discharge (cargo, freight, etc)
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(tr) to relieve of a burden or troubles
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(tr) to give vent to (anxiety, troubles, etc)
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(tr) to get rid of or dispose of (esp surplus goods)
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(tr) to remove the charge of ammunition from (a firearm)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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unloadsimple
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unloadssimple
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have unloadedperfect
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has unloadedperfect
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am unloadingprogressive
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are unloadingprogressive
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is unloadingprogressive
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have been unloadingperfect progressive
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has been unloadingperfect progressive
Past
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unloadedsimple
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had unloadedperfect
-
was unloadingprogressive
-
were unloadingprogressive
-
had been unloadingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of unload
Explanation
To unload is to remove cargo from a vehicle or shipping carton. Unload can also mean to discharge or get rid of something, or to get something off your chest. A clothing store might unload (remove) a hundred cartons from the delivery truck, and then unload (unpack) shirts and pants from the cartons. If a carton of clothes is imperfect, the store might send them back or unload (dispossess themselves of) them by selling them cheaply to a factory-seconds outlet. Then the store manager, depending on her mood, might unload on (give a tongue-lashing to) the manufacturer for shipping shoddy products.
Vocabulary lists containing unload
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Nightmare creatures from the netherworld feast on the worries of mere mortals, he explains, and so he invites guests to unload some of their own.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
An internal review found $20 billion worth of such deals weren’t disclosed to regulators, and Walter has been looking to unload some assets to raise capital.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
Chants of 'oh Fabio Wardley' were quickly silenced as Dubois continued to unload punishing combinations.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
My wife and I recently struggled trying to unload roughly 100 rock, pop, Broadway, soundtracks, classical, comedy and children’s albums that we don’t plan to bring to our new home.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
They could provide air cover, Cabell suggested, give the men a chance to unload their supplies and get off the open beach.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
“If Gulf unloads are materially disrupted, fewer clean empties will become available for repositioning just as harvest progresses and October contract needs begin drawing on the fleet.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
She enters a spotless kitchen, unloads a bag of groceries, and unwraps a frozen pizza before sliding it in the oven.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
The crypto selloff has deepened as Wall Street unloads risk-on assets amid concerns over the stretched valuations of artificial-intelligence stocks.
From Barron's ● Nov. 14, 2025
Jose Campos, co-manager of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing nursery unloads four pots of native California asters for planting on the crossing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2025
A bowlegged farmer unloads a crate of country chickens for the butcher.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
As Celtic unloaded on Hearts at Celtic Park it was football's equivalent of Thunder's devastation; speed and accuracy and ruthlessness in the face of a challenger akin to a rabbit caught in the headlights.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026
From the start, one of Walmart’s primary automation goals has been building a neat, tightly wrapped pallet in the exact order that it needs to be unloaded at stores, which would save on labor costs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
No one exhaled until the cargo was unloaded, unswaddled, and confirmed to be in one piece.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
MetaX faces the same test next week, and has slid over 25% this week as investors unloaded their shares after seeing Moore’s tumble.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
She sat up and looked around her room, then got down from the bed and opened her backpack and unloaded everything—all of the books and folders and notebooks—and hid them under the bed.
From "Breadcrumbs" by Anne Ursu
Nigam Arora, founder of the the Arora Report, said some of the advisory firm’s members who pursue short-term momentum trading strategies have been unloading Lumentum stock.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
Carreras made amends with a try of his own although Northampton started turning the screw despite Bath unloading their bench of big-hitters.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
It also met Jordan’s wish list of requirements: It has a bathtub and in-unit laundry and is on the first floor, making her loading and unloading of work supplies easier.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
A sustained defense financed the conventional way would mean Tokyo unloading them at a moment when the yield on the 30-year U.S. bond has risen to its highest level since 2007.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
The roar of wheels turning into the station, the stench of exhaust fumes, the sudden bustles of people unloading told me it was time to go.
From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin
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