unfasten
Americanverb (used with object)
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unfastens,
present (3rd person singular)
-
unfastened,
past participle, past
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unfastening
present participle
-
to release from or as from fastenings; detach.
-
to undo or open (something fastened).
verb (used without object)
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unfastens,
present (3rd person singular)
-
unfastened,
past participle, past
-
unfastening
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
unfastensimple
-
unfastenssimple
-
have unfastenedperfect
-
has unfastenedperfect
-
am unfasteningprogressive
-
are unfasteningprogressive
-
is unfasteningprogressive
-
have been unfasteningperfect progressive
-
has been unfasteningperfect progressive
Past
-
unfastenedsimple
-
had unfastenedperfect
-
was unfasteningprogressive
-
were unfasteningprogressive
-
had been unfasteningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of unfasten
First recorded in 1175–1225, unfasten is from the Middle English word unfastnen. See un- 2, fasten
Explanation
When you unfasten something, you loosen or open it. You should wait to unfasten your seatbelt until the car has completely stopped. To fasten is to hook, close, or latch something, and to unfasten it is to undo it. You might unfasten your dog's leash so she can run free on the beach or unfasten the snaps and buttons on your jacket so you can take it off. You can also unfasten your ponytail, letting your hair down, or unfasten the latch on a gate. The Old English root word is fæstnian, "make fast or firm."
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:
For 12 days, we shared every moment and, surrounded by the kind of beauty only a remote bay in the Pacific could afford, I felt something unfasten in my chest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 8, 2024
To serve the cheesecake, run a knife around the outer edge to loosen it from the pan, then carefully unfasten the sides of the pan and transfer the cheesecake to a cake plate or stand.
From Fox News ● Dec. 16, 2021
Operators are supposed to unfasten all of the seat belts after each ride so the next load of people can be buckled in.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 25, 2021
Turn off the heat, allow the pressurized steam to escape, then unfasten the lid and check for doneness; you want your beans to be very tender and quite creamy.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 3, 2018
Reaching back with both hands, I unfasten the clasp.
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
The bearded guy in front of us unfastens his earflaps and says, chuckling, “Haven’t you guys ever stood in line for beer before?”
From Washington Post ● Sep. 6, 2017
One Atlanta man unfastens his seat belt, and turns off his hearing aid, as soon as he starts his new Impala.
From Time Magazine Archive
Home for the busy man about Brazil these days is where he unfastens his seat belt.
From Time Magazine Archive
Gloria unfastens her helmet, hangs it on her handlebar, and sighs.
From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan
I give it a press and the clasp unfastens.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
It was a photograph of a young Newsom at some glitzy gala with the top two buttons of his white shirt unfastened.
From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2025
But the giant birds will be unfastened from the ceiling on Friday to make way for a new mystery exhibit, airport authorities said.
From BBC ● May 5, 2025
His true devotion to the mouse was hidden just underneath: He unfastened the shirt’s top button to reveal a tattoo on his chest of Mickey Mouse flying a biplane.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2022
Forensic investigations found two broken bolts and another that unfastened while the engine was running.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 15, 2022
Mrs. Coulter dipped a flannel in a basin of cold water and mopped Lyra’s face, and then unfastened the sleeping bag and washed Lyra’s arms and neck and shoulders, for Lyra was hot.
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
Kondo brought garments to life, like kites in the sky with voluminous silhouettes created by fastening and unfastening buttons.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 20, 2024
Anita Klemencic of Slovenia stayed upright for a good long while, unfastening her skis more quickly than do some.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 10, 2022
Fastidiously spend a couple of minutes unfastening all the straps before you can sit down?
From The Guardian ● Sep. 19, 2019
Could this be the start of a major unfastening of the strictures she lives under?
From New York Times ● May 4, 2016
People were unfastening my bindings and collecting my ski poles from where they poked skyward, askew, in their separate snowbanks.
From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath
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.
