unload

[ uhn-lohd ]

/ ʌnˈloʊd /

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See synonyms for: unload / unloaded on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to take the load from; remove the cargo or freight from: to unload a truck; to unload a cart.

to remove or discharge (a load, group of people, etc.): to unload passengers.

to remove the charge from (a firearm).

to relieve of anything burdensome, oppressive, etc.: He unloaded his responsibilities.

to get rid of (goods, shares of stock, etc.) by sale in large quantities.

verb (used without object)

to unload something.

Informal. to relieve one's stress by talking, confessing, or the like.

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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

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Origin of unload

First recorded in 1515–25; un-² + load

OTHER WORDS FROM unload

un·load·er, nounself-un·load·ing, adjective

Words nearby unload

unlisted, Unlisted Securities Market, unlistenable, unlit, unlive, unload, unloanable, unlock, unlocked, unlooked, unlooked-for

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use unload in a sentence

The storm responsible for the predicted snow is the same one that unloaded up to nine feet of snow in the mountains of California and is poised to sweep through the Plains and Midwest through Sunday.
Winter storm to blanket D.C. area in moderate snow Sunday, and more might come Monday|Jason Samenow, Wes Junker|January 31, 2021|Washington Post
It’s of how he let the boy touch the unloaded gun one time, to satisfy his curiosity, and how he saw his son come to understand the complex realities of police work.
Chase Young’s upbringing made him a ‘crazy unusual’ leader, and Washington is already following|Sam Fortier|January 1, 2021|Washington Post
Massive aluminum shipping containers are unloaded from planes and are loaded onto dollies, which pull them up to one of several lines in the input area.
A Temp Worker Died on the Job After FedEx Didn’t Fix a Known Hazard. The Fine: $7,000.|by Wendi C. Thomas, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism|December 23, 2020|ProPublica
Namely, the trust structure means that Grayscale must sell first dibs on shares in the trust only to wealthy investors, who can then unload them on the public market after a year.
$20,000 Bitcoin caps Grayscale’s incredible year|Jeff|December 16, 2020|Fortune

According to several accounts, as a young museum employee, she helped unload or catalogue early deliveries of trophy art from Germany.
Irina Antonova, grande dame of Russian cultural life, dies at 98|Emily Langer|December 4, 2020|Washington Post
A punching bag as treasury secretary, Geithner finally gets to unload in ‘Stress Test.’
Speed Read: The Juiciest Bits From Timothy Geithner’s New Memoir|William O’Connor|May 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After the exam, they often invite applicants to unload any mental burdens they might be carrying.
On Polygraph Tests, Would-Be Border Patrol Agents Confess to Crimes|Andrew Becker|April 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Obama hangs on to his lead in swing states, especially Ohio, as Romney aides unload on Chris Christie.
Presidential Candidates Blitz Swing States on Final Campaign Weekend|Howard Kurtz|November 4, 2012|DAILY BEAST
I have the sense that Palin would really like to unload on Mitt and campaign for Newt.
Palin’s Delicate Dance with Newt|Howard Kurtz|February 7, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Which is why it was refreshing to see former Utah governor Jon Huntsman unload on rivals for appealing to the fringes.
Paging Reasonable Republicans|Mark McKinnon|August 22, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Three times that morning we had to unload the mules, hand the packs across the obstructions, and load again on the further side.
The Cradle of Mankind|W.A. Wigram
Alice returned to her new companion, and Edward and Pablo continued to unload the cart.
The Children of the New Forest|Captain Marryat
This is our first experience with la porteuse, and we wait for her to stoop, camel-like, to unload.
Gardens of the Caribbees, v. 1/2|Ida May Hill Starr
The merchants began to unload their goods, in order to sell or exchange them.
The Arabian Nights|Unknown
Wasn't it pleasant to unload, and deposit all things in a place of safety!
A Confederate Girl's Diary|Sarah Margan Dawson

British Dictionary definitions for unload

unload

/ (ʌnˈləʊd) /

verb

to remove a load or cargo from (a ship, lorry, etc)

to discharge (cargo, freight, etc)

(tr) to relieve of a burden or troubles

(tr) to give vent to (anxiety, troubles, etc)

(tr) to get rid of or dispose of (esp surplus goods)

(tr) to remove the charge of ammunition from (a firearm)

Derived forms of unload

unloader, noun

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

unload

Origin of unload

OTHER WORDS FROM unload

Words nearby unload

Words related to unload

How to use unload in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for unload

Derived forms of unload