unbalanced
/'ʌn'bælənst/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Not balanced; lacking equilibrium: The state of being unevenly distributed, not in a state of proper balance or proportion.
- Mentally disturbed or unstable: Affected by emotional or psychological instability; not sound of mind.
- (Finance) Not having equal debits and credits: Of an account, where the total debits do not equal the total credits.
Usage Examples
- Adjective (Physical/General Balance):
- The load on the truck was unbalanced and caused it to sway dangerously.
- An unbalanced diet can lead to health problems.
- Adjective (Mental State):
- The character in the novel was portrayed as emotionally unbalanced.
- The stress of the event left him feeling temporarily unbalanced.
- Adjective (Financial):
- The accountant discovered an unbalanced ledger at the end of the quarter.
Advanced Usage
- "to feel unbalanced": to feel emotionally or physically unsteady, disoriented.
- After the sudden news, she felt completely unbalanced for the rest of the day.
- In a technical/engineering context: Refers to a system or force that is not in equilibrium.
- Unbalanced forces cause a change in an object's motion.
Variants and Related Words
- Unbalance (verb): To cause to become unbalanced.
- The sudden weight shift unbalanced the cyclist.
- Imbalanced (adjective): Often used synonymously with 'unbalanced', especially regarding proportions or distributions.
- There is an imbalanced ratio of students to teachers.
- Balance (noun/verb): The antonym and root word.
Synonyms
- Uneven: Not level or equal.
- Unstable: Liable to change or fail; not firmly fixed.
- Unsound: Not physically or mentally healthy; flawed.
- Lopsided: With one side lower or smaller than the other.
Antonyms
- Balanced: Being in a state of equilibrium.
- Stable: Not likely to change or fail; firmly fixed.
- Sound: In good condition; based on valid reasoning.
- Steady: Firmly fixed, supported, or balanced.
Related Phrases/Idioms
- "Throw someone off balance": To surprise or confuse someone, making them feel uncertain or unstable (conceptually related).
- The tricky question threw the speaker off balance.
Adjective
- debits and credits are not equal
- affected with madness or insanity
- a man who had gone mad
- being or thrown out of equilibrium