unfocused
Americanadjective
-
not brought into focus; lacking proper focus.
an unfocused camera.
-
lacking a clear purpose or direction.
an unfocused meeting.
Etymology
Origin of unfocused
First recorded in 1885–90; un- 1 + focus ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )
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 rambling and unfocused speech offered little in the way of specifics.
From Salon • Apr. 2, 2026
Yet works of high seriousness were never his strong suit, as his rambling and distressingly unfocused Eisenhower Memorial in Washington showed.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025
The rest of the time, though, things are pretty but unfocused, like dreams that are half-remembered, not tangible enough to incur real meaning.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2025
Back then it was hard to get approval from the police, and the march was a chaotic, unfocused event.
From BBC • Jan. 21, 2025
I wanted to scream at her, to blame everything on her, but she sagged against the wall as if she’d never move again, her face colorless, her eyes unfocused.
From "The Old Willis Place" by Mary Downing Hahn
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.
