Don't leave your work unfinished.
Source: tatoeba (245393)
Unfinished
/ʌnˈfɪnɪʃt/
Synonyms for "unfinished" (153 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (31)
Noun(3 words)
draft a paragraphdraft minutesfragmented sentences
Strong matches (46)
impreciseimpurein embryoin ovoin the roughinaccurateinadequateincompleteinconclusiveinexactjackleglackinglumpymakeshiftmediocremixedneglectednot perfectoffoversimple
Adjective(17 words)
in progressin the worksincompleteincomplete beingincomplete conditionincomplete designincomplete formincomplete patient recordincomplete recordincomplete submissionsincomplete workpartial phrasepartial specimenpreliminaryraggedroughrough-edged
Noun(3 words)
incomplete energy measurementrough lumberrough rock surface
Related words (76)
roughcastroughhewnruderudimentalrudimentarysemiskilledshortsimplisticsketchystuntedunaccomplishedunachievedunattainedunblownunbusinesslikeuncoacheduncompletedunconsummateduncultivateduncultured
Show 39 more words
uncutunderdevelopedundevelopedundischargedundoneundressedunendowedunevenunexecutedunfashionedunformedunfulfilledungiftedunhewnuninitiatedunlaboredunlickedunperfectedunperformedunpolishedunpreparedunprimedunprocessedunprofessionalunrealizedunrefinedunschooledunskilledunsounduntalenteduntaughtunthoroughuntraineduntreateduntutoredunworkedunwroughtwantingyoung
Adjective(13 words)
Determiner(1 words)
some remain
Verb(3 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: abortive, adulterated, amateurish, angular, arrested.
- Sentence evidence is available for unfinished, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from derived_reverse, moby, wordnet, 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 "unfinished".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "unfinished"
Keep "unfinished" 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 "unfinished" 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 "unfinished", 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 "unfinished" 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
3 entriesMore specific
6 entriesfirst drafthalf finishedin progress draftpartially completedrough draftunder construction
Collocations
5 entriesunfinished basementunfinished businessunfinished projectunfinished sentenceunfinished work
Inflections
2 entriesmore unfinishedmost unfinished
Derivations
1 entriesAntonyms
1 entriessimilar
16 entriesTranslations
51 translations across 32 languages.
Ancient Greek
1 entries- ἀτελείωτος adj (not finished)
Bulgarian
1 entries- недовършен adj (not finished)
Catalan
2 entries- inacabat adj (not finished)
- inconclús adj (not finished)
Czech
1 entries- nedokončený adj (not finished)
Danish
2 entries- halvfærdigt adj (not finished)
- ufuldendt adj (not finished)
Dutch
3 entries- onaf adj (not finished)
- onafgemaakt adj (not finished)
- onvoltooid adj (not finished)
Esperanto
1 entries- nefinita adj (not finished)
Finnish
2 entries- keskeneräinen adj (not finished)
- valmistumaton adj (not finished)
French
1 entries- inachevé adj (not finished)
Galician
2 entries- inacabado adj (not finished)
- inconcluso adj (not finished)
German
1 entries- unvollendet adj (not finished)
Greek
3 entries- ατέλειωτος adj (not finished)
- ατελείωτος adj (not finished)
- ημιτελής adj (not finished)
Gujarati
1 entries- અધૂરું adj (not finished)
Icelandic
2 entries- ókláraður adj (not finished)
- ólokinn adj (not finished)
Irish
1 entries- neamhchríochnaithe adj (not finished)
Italian
1 entries- incompleto adj (not finished)
Japanese
1 entries- 未完の adj (not finished)
Latin
1 entries- infectus adj (not finished)
Māori
2 entries- kohuku adj (not finished)
- kōkau adj (not finished)
Norwegian Bokmål
2 entries- uferdig adj (not finished)
- ufullendt adj (not finished)
Norwegian Nynorsk
2 entries- uferdig adj (not finished)
- ufullenda adj (not finished)
Occitan
1 entries- inacabat adj (not finished)
Polish
1 entries- niedokończony adj (not finished)
Portuguese
3 entries- inacabado adj (not finished)
- inconcluso adj (not finished)
- interminado adj (not finished)
Russian
4 entries- недоко́нченный adj (not finished)
- незавершённый adj (not finished)
- незако́нченный adj (not finished)
- неоко́нченный adj (not finished)
Sanskrit
1 entries- अनवपृग्ण adj (not finished)
Slovak
1 entries- nedokončený adj (not finished)
Spanish
2 entries- inacabado adj (not finished)
- inconcluso adj (not finished)
Swedish
1 entries- halvfärdig adj (not finished)
Telugu
1 entries- పూర్తికాని adj (not finished)
Ukrainian
2 entries- незаве́ршений adj (not finished)
- незакі́нчений adj (not finished)
Welsh
1 entries- anorffenedig adj (not finished)
Sample sentences
20 total sentences available.
She doesn't like to leave anything unfinished.
Source: tatoeba (312820)
Evening come, since you were slightly tired, you wished to sit in front of a new Café located on the corner of a new boulevard, still full of gravel and already showing its unfinished splendors.
Source: tatoeba (413395)
You and I have unfinished business.
Source: tatoeba (611111)
Showing 4 of 20 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "unfinished"?
Closest matches include abortive, adulterated, amateurish, angular, arrested.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "unfinished"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.