Synonyms

unglued

American

[uhn-glood] / ʌnˈglud /

adjective

separated or detached; not glued.

idioms

come unglued,
1. to become upset, disorganized, or confused; lose emotional control.
  
  to come unglued in an emergency.
2. to disintegrate or collapse; fall apart; break down.
  
  The negotiators tried to keep the fragile peace agreement from coming unglued.

unglued More Idioms

see under come apart at the seams.

Etymology

Origin of unglued

First recorded in 1685–95; unglued ( def. 1 ) un- ¹ + glued ( def. ); unglued ( def. 2 ) unglue + -ed ²

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 run defense ended up coming unglued, giving up over 300 yards in a rainy defeat.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2025

Garden variety pleasures, such as having a pet, cause them to come unglued.

From Salon • Aug. 16, 2024

Two factors had helped: One seam on the box had come unglued, allowing oxygen to circulate, and mild weather kept Galena from overheating or freezing.

From New York Times • Apr. 29, 2024

She said Remi’s name and Remi came unglued, thinking of the night Margery asked her to fetch a glass sculpture of a flightless bird she’d purchased for the dining room.

From Slate • Jan. 27, 2024

One time, a few years ago, I just about came unglued in an arcade when I couldn’t get a pair of SpongeBob sunglasses in one of those claw games.

From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023