The police assembled several unemployed men.
Source: tatoeba (238300)
Unemployed
/ˌʌnɪmˈplɔɪd/
Synonyms for "unemployed" (128 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (26)
at a standstillat anchorat leisureat libertyat loose endsavailablebeggarbummercadgercoupon clippersdead-stilldisengageddroneextrafallowfiredfixedfreefreeloaderfresh
Show 4 more words
Adjective(2 words)
between jobsemploymentally challenged
Strong matches (38)
Related words (64)
off workoriginalotioseout of commissionout of employout of harnessout of workpanhandlerparasitepristineput asideput byrentiersreserveriding at anchorsavedsparespivspongerstatic
Show 29 more words
Adjective(7 words)
persistent joblessprolonged joblessthe joblessunemployed individualunemployed personunemployment categoryunutilized
Noun(1 words)
unemployed people
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: at a standstill, at anchor, at leisure, at liberty, at loose ends.
- Sentence evidence is available for unemployed, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, wiktionary, derived_reverse, opengloss, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "unemployed".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "unemployed"
Keep "unemployed" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "unemployed" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "unemployed", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "unemployed" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
12 entriesconditioneconomic categoryeconomic conditioneconomic indicatorlabor categorylabor statuspeoplepersonresource statusstatestate of beingutilization
More specific
8 entrieselderly long-term unemployedidle capacitylong term unemployedlong-term unemployedshort-term unemployedunemployed youthunused assetsyouth long-term unemployed
Collocations
5 entrieschronically unemployedlong term unemployednewly unemployedunemployed populationunemployed workers
Inflections
2 entriesmore unemployedmost unemployed
Derivations
1 entriesAntonyms
1 entriessimilar
8 entriesSample sentences
14 total sentences available.
Being unemployed gave me the chance to stand back and think about my life.
Source: tatoeba (264946)
I hear that the number of the unemployed has been increasing recently.
Source: tatoeba (264947)
The unemployed always wind up at the bottom of the heap.
Source: tatoeba (264948)
Showing 4 of 14 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "unemployed"?
Closest matches include at a standstill, at anchor, at leisure, at liberty, at loose ends.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "unemployed"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.