English Reference
Verb

unload

v.
B1 Intermediate US /ənˈɫoʊd/ UK /ʌnlˈəʊd/ un·load UK spelling unloads Aviation Computing

v.to take things off a vehicle or out of a container. You can also use it to talk about sharing your heavy feelings with someone.

v.to remove goods or cargo from a vehicle, ship, or container; metaphorically, to release or express suppressed emotions or information.


SIMPLE

We need to unload the groceries from the car.

CONTEXTUAL

After a long day at work, she needed to unload her frustrations to a friend over coffee.

COMPLEX

The dockworkers spent the entire night shift attempting to unload the massive freighter before the storm surge made the harbor too dangerous for operations.

Usage

The verb is transitive and takes a direct object; in its emotional sense, it often takes the preposition 'on' or 'to' followed by a person.


From un- + load.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated