unkempt

[ uhn-kempt ]

/ ʌnˈkɛmpt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR unkempt ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

not combed: unkempt hair.

uncared-for or neglected; disheveled; messy: unkempt clothes; an unkempt lawn.

unpolished; rough; crude.

Nearby words

unjoint, unjust, unjustifiable, unjustified, unkelos, unkempt, unkenned, unkennel, unkind, unkindest cut, unkindly

Origin of unkempt

1590–1600; variant of unkembed; see un-¹, kempt

Related forms

un·kempt·ly, adverbun·kempt·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for unkempt

Lemkin hung around the proceedings, disheveled and unkempt, but determined.
The Man Who Invented the Word ‘Genocide’|Nina Strochlic|November 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The typically fresh-faced, photogenic 31-year-old actor is sporting a bushy, unkempt, downright Biblical-looking beard.
Andrew Garfield on the Evils of Capitalism, the Hacking Scandal, and Criticism of ‘Spider-Man 2’|Marlow Stern|September 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Today, instead of men performing backbreaking work on creaking machinery, unkempt grass bends in the light breeze.
The Grape King from Shogunate Japan|Debra A. Klein|April 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Nablus Road station itself is outdoors, unkempt and chaotic.
West Bank Buses Only The Latest In Israel's Segregated Public Transport|Anna Lekas Miller|March 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST

The subtext here suggests that if a guy as unkempt as Rogen tends to his hair down there, so should every other American bro.
Why 'Manscaping' Isn't Just for Porn Stars Anymore|Lizzie Crocker|December 29, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Her dress was tawdry, cheap, and loud, showing signs of wear; her hair was unkempt; her manners were not the manners of a lady.
Prince Zaleski|M.P. Shiel
But she gathered that he was ragged and unkempt, and, from the way he kept looking over his shoulder, evidently apprehensive.
A Woman's Burden|Fergus Hume
With the back of his hand he pushed up the unkempt hair which obscured his eyes.
Barlasch of the Guard|H. S. Merriman
There were a number of unkempt men engaged in the same occupation.
Ned Wilding's Disappearance|Allen Chapman
Locks of his blond hair, unkempt, dropped over his low forehead into his eyes.
The Sky Line of Spruce|Edison Marshall

British Dictionary definitions for unkempt

unkempt

/ (ʌnˈkɛmpt) /

adjective

(of the hair) uncombed; dishevelled

ungroomed; slovenlyunkempt appearance

archaic crude or coarse

Derived Forms

unkemptly, adverbunkemptness, noun

Word Origin for unkempt

Old English uncembed; from un- 1 + cembed, past participle of cemban to comb; related to Old Saxon kembian, Old High German kemben to comb

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