unbuttoned
Americanadjective
-
not buttoned.
-
Informal. free, open, or informal; unrestrained.
unbuttoned humor.
adjective
-
with buttons not fastened
-
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.
Wearing a partially unbuttoned denim shirt, he spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth.
From BBC • Jan. 20, 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
The commissioner of police unbuttoned his tunic again and looked at Yossarian with contempt.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
