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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.

Galvan, whose husband was also unemployed after a tech layoff, eventually enrolled in graduate school and currently works part-time as a writing tutor and editor of various blogs and journals at San Jose State University.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

But first, how do we get from unemployed house sitter to impending Italian nuptials?

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

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

In the nearby town he found a former German engineer who was now unemployed and had five children to feed.

From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson

Vocabulary lists containing unemployed

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