unbutton
Americanverb (used with object)
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unbuttons,
present (3rd person singular)
-
unbuttoned,
past participle, past
-
unbuttoning
present participle
-
to free (buttons) from buttonholes; unfasten or undo.
-
to unfasten by or as if by unbuttoning.
to unbutton a jacket.
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to disclose (one's feelings, thoughts, etc.) after deliberate or prolonged silence.
verb (used without object)
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unbuttons,
present (3rd person singular)
-
unbuttoned,
past participle, past
-
unbuttoning
present participle
verb
-
to undo by unfastening (the buttons) of (a garment)
-
informal to release or relax (oneself, tension, etc)
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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unbuttonsimple
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unbuttonssimple
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have unbuttonedperfect
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has unbuttonedperfect
-
am unbuttoningprogressive
-
are unbuttoningprogressive
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is unbuttoningprogressive
-
have been unbuttoningperfect progressive
-
has been unbuttoningperfect progressive
Past
-
unbuttonedsimple
-
had unbuttonedperfect
-
was unbuttoningprogressive
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were unbuttoningprogressive
-
had been unbuttoningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of unbutton
First recorded in 1275–1325, unbutton is from the Middle English word unbotenen. See un- 2, button
Explanation
When you unbutton something, you unfasten or open it, the way you unbutton your coat before you take it off. To undo the buttons on a piece of clothing is to unbutton it. If your formal clothes feel uncomfortable, you might take off your tie and unbutton your top shirt button. You can also figuratively unbutton, by becoming more relaxed and uninhibited: "Kick off your shoes and unbutton a little — we're at the beach!" Unbutton comes from adding un-, "opposite of," to the verb button, "fasten with buttons."
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:
As things get hot the temptation is to ditch the layers, get out the shorts and unbutton the flowery shirt.
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
The best tips were about using words first: “I need to unbutton your gown because I’m going to be scanning your chest, but I’ll keep you covered with this towel.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 7, 2026
Then McEnany laughed and asked her co-hosts for permission to unbutton what had become her too-tight blazer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 17, 2025
Maggie Haberman’s new book, “Confidence Man,” reveals that in 2020, President Donald Trump wanted to unbutton his shirt to reveal a Superman T-shirt upon his emergence from Walter Reed Hospital after being treated for Covid.
From New York Times ● Oct. 4, 2022
Robin had already begun to unbutton her shoes.
From "Dragonwings" by Laurence Yep
“She always does a really good job of changing his look just a little bit. He’s now more comfortable in his skin, so his bodyguard outfit is more fitted. He unbuttons the top button.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 21, 2022
He has paced the sideline with the same vigor he played with, often sweating so much that he unbuttons his shirt and removes his tie in the second half.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 19, 2021
Proving how serious he is, he unbuttons his three shirt buttons and greets the groom with a very sincere, “What’s upppp.”
From Time ● Jan. 25, 2016
Five weeks later, in a heatwave, the Rhinoceros unbuttons his skin and goes for a swim.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 4, 2013
Amidst the panic, she calmly unbuttons her coat and removes it, tossing it with a delicate gesture toward the burning chair.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Reynolds shows a flamboyant cavalryman, leaning on his sword, his red coat unbuttoned to show his cream waistcoat and breeches.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
Two of our esteemed gubernatorial candidates, the cowboy and the dilettante, apparently could not find ties for the first debate Wednesday night, showing up with dress shirts casually unbuttoned.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026
He was wearing a white shirt that was unbuttoned.
From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026
Sweat, who is 70, has a golfer’s tan, flinty eyes, and a shirt unbuttoned just a little too far.
From Slate ● Nov. 6, 2025
I crammed my ribbon tie in my vest pocket and unbuttoned my collar, wiping at the clammy sweat dewed on my neck.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
After unbuttoning his jersey to unveil an “I’m From Cleveland” T-shirt, Kelce wound up and then bounced his pitch halfway to the plate.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 7, 2023
“Most people don’t mind loosening their sleeve or unbuttoning their shirt slightly.”
From Slate ● Feb. 23, 2021
Goldblum has suggested in interviews that this great unbuttoning was spontaneous, but whether it is, the effect is the same.
From New York Times ● Jul. 2, 2020
Instead, it began funereally, then segued to revelry, then to fireside unbuttoning, and ended not only with horror but with broken hearts across the realm.
From The New Yorker ● May 6, 2019
“Here, viejo, let me help you,” she said, unbuttoning Papá’s shirt and helping him to take it off.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
