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Definitions

unemployed

[uhn-em-ploid] / ˌʌn ɛmˈplɔɪd /
ADJECTIVE
without a job
Synonyms
STRONGEST
idle inactive jobless underemployed
STRONG
down free loafing
WEAK
at liberty between jobs closed-down disengaged fired laid-off leisured on layoff on the bench on the dole on the shelf out of a job out of action out of work resting unapplied unengaged unexercised unoccupied unused without gainful employment workless
Antonyms
STRONGEST
active busy working
WEAK
employed occupied

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Job security is a key feature of the job hunt these days, and searches for people who are unemployed can be lengthy.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

The decline in the unemployment rate came with an asterisk: The labor force shrank by nearly 400,000 people, meaning fewer Americans were counted as unemployed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

There is currently 0.9 job opening for every unemployed person.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

Kelvin Karume, 22, who is currently unemployed and says he is trying to build an online presence as a content creator in Nairobi, says he found the videos on a Russian YouTube channel.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

The queue moved at a snail’s pace; I struck up a conversation with an unemployed man in a dark suit.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

Vocabulary lists containing unemployed

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