unprepared
/'ʌnpri'peəd/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective: 1. Not ready or not made ready in advance: Describes a state of not having made necessary arrangements, plans, or studies for a future event or situation. 2. Done or made without prior planning or practice: Refers to something, like a speech or remark, that is spontaneous and not thought out beforehand.
Usage
The word "unprepared" describes a person, group, or thing that lacks readiness. It is commonly used to indicate a lack of preparation for a specific task, event, or question. It often carries a negative connotation, suggesting a disadvantage or a potential for poor performance.
Examples
- As an adjective describing a person or group:
- The students were unprepared for the difficult exam.
- The team was caught unprepared by the opponent's new strategy.
- As an adjective describing a thing or action:
- She gave an unprepared speech that was surprisingly eloquent.
- His unprepared remarks during the interview caused some controversy.
Advanced Usage
- "to be unprepared for": This is the most common construction, followed by the thing one is not ready for.
- We were utterly unprepared for the scale of the disaster.
- "to find oneself unprepared": Emphasizes a sudden realization of being unready.
- He found himself unprepared to answer such a personal question.
Variants and Related Words
- Unpreparedness (noun): The state or condition of being unprepared.
- The project's failure was due to general unpreparedness.
Synonyms
- Unready: Not prepared for action.
- Ill-prepared: Poorly or inadequately prepared.
- Off-guard: Not alert to a danger or surprise.
- Spontaneous: Performed or occurring as a result of a sudden impulse without premeditation (can be neutral or positive, unlike the typically negative "unprepared").
Antonyms
- Prepared: Made ready in advance.
- Ready: Fully prepared for immediate action or use.
- Rehearsed: Practiced in advance.
- Premeditated: Thought out or planned beforehand.
Idioms and Phrases
- Caught unprepared: To be surprised by an event for which one is not ready.
- The sudden market crash caught many investors unprepared.
Adjective
- without preparation; not prepared for
- unprepared remarks
- the shock was unprepared
- our treaty makers approached their immensely difficult problems unprepared- R.E.Danielson