Word
unwashed
Phoneticsun·washed, stress on the second syllable
US/ənˈwɑʃt/
UK/ʌnwˈɒʃt/
Definition
adj. not clean or not washed. It can also describe someone who does not care about their appearance or social rules.
adj. unclean or not having been washed; by extension, describes a person who lacks social polish or conventional grooming standards. Often carries a derogatory or dismissive tone.
Examples
“The unwashed clothes are starting to smell.”
“He was dismissed from the interview because his unwashed appearance suggested a lack of professionalism.”
“The critic dismissed the band as a group of unwashed outsiders, failing to recognize the technical mastery hidden behind their intentionally disheveled aesthetic.”
Examples
simple
“The unwashed clothes are starting to smell.”
contextual
“He was dismissed from the interview because his unwashed appearance suggested a lack of professionalism.”
complex
“The critic dismissed the band as a group of unwashed outsiders, failing to recognize the technical mastery hidden behind their intentionally disheveled aesthetic.”
Real-World Examples
“Some brought their unwashed laundry to a protest in the capital in August 2026.” “By the time several hundred "unwashed Hippies" decided to make it their home, the 100-room mansion in London's West End had stood empty for years.” Etymology
From Middle English unwasched, unwasschyd, unwessched, a weak verb conjugation of earlier Middle English unwaschen (“unwashen”), equivalent to un- + washed.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. great unwashed
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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