Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

unfinished

American  
[uhn-fin-isht] / ʌnˈfɪn ɪʃt /

adjective

  1. not finished; finished; incomplete or unaccomplished.

  2. lacking some special finish or surface treatment, as polish, paint, etc.

  3. (of cloth) not sheared following the looming process.

  4. (of worsted) given a slight nap.

unfinished British  
/ ʌnˈfɪnɪʃt /

adjective

  1. incomplete or imperfect

  2. (of paint, polish, varnish, etc) without an applied finish; rough

  3. (of fabric) unbleached or not processed

  4. (of fabric) with a short nap

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • unfinishedness noun

Etymology

Origin of unfinished

First recorded in 1530–40; un- 1 + finished

Vocabulary lists containing unfinished

Lacking

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

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.

The actor stars in Steven Soderbergh’s clever drama as an artist whose children arrange the forgery of his unfinished works to ensure themselves an inheritance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

At first glance that structure looks unfinished, a stack of six white boxes hastily heaped up at a shoe store on inventory day.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

For some around US President George W Bush there was a feeling of unfinished business from the 1991 Gulf War when Saddam Hussein had been ejected from Kuwait but remained in power.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

The belief that your brain is still unfinished can make uncertainty feel normal.

From Science Daily • Feb. 19, 2026

Uncle Alf held out his fist and opened his fingers to reveal an unfinished carving of a baby.

From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney

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.