unbuttoned
Americanadjective
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not buttoned.
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Informal. free, open, or informal; unrestrained.
unbuttoned humor.
adjective
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with buttons not fastened
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informal uninhibited; unrestrained
hours of unbuttoned self-revelation
Etymology
Origin of unbuttoned
First recorded in 1575–85; un- 1 + buttoned ( def. )
Explanation
Something that's unbuttoned isn't closed or fastened. Your unbuttoned sweater won't keep you very warm on a cold, windy day. The adjective unbuttoned is what you need when you're talking about a piece of clothing with buttons that aren't fastened, like your unbuttoned wool coat or your unbuttoned, rolled-up shirt sleeves. You can also describe a relaxed or uninhibited person as unbuttoned: "My mom is kind of uptight today, but on the weekends she's way more unbuttoned."
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.
He was wearing a white shirt that was unbuttoned.
From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026
In style, both personal and professional, he was the essence of low-key, unbuttoned California.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025
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
At a backyard disco party he threw recently, Zuckerberg wore a sequin floral bomber jacket over a drapey shirt unbuttoned to the mid-stomach.
From Salon ● Nov. 9, 2024
After tying a bath towel around my waist, I unbuttoned the shoulder straps of my tunic and pulled it over my head.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
