unused
- 01 B1 Intermediate
not used yet; still new or in its original condition.
not having been put to use; remaining in a pristine or original state.
Simple“The guest bedroom had several unused towels neatly folded on the bed.”
In context“The company decided to sell off its unused equipment to recover some of the initial investment costs before the end of the fiscal year.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
not used to something; not having experience with a situation.
not accustomed or habituated to a particular condition or environment; typically followed by the preposition 'to'.
Simple“He was unused to the heat of the desert and felt tired quickly.”
In context“Being unused to such public scrutiny, the young author found the sudden media attention both overwhelming and intrusive.”
UsageAlways followed by the preposition 'to' and a noun or gerund.
Teacher's tipIn modern speech, 'not used to' is much more common than 'unused to', which can sound quite formal or literary.
PitfallHe was unused at the cold weather. He was unused to the cold weather.The adjective 'unused' requires the preposition 'to' when it means 'not accustomed'.
SynonymsAntonyms
From un- + used.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.