un|fair ◆◇◇ /ʌ nfeə r /
1 ADJ An unfair action is not right or fair. □ America decided that imported steel had an unfair advantage over steel made at home. □ It was unfair that he should suffer so much. □ The union said it was unfair to ask workers to adopt a policy of wage restraint. ● un|fair|ly ADV [ADV adj, ADV with v] □ The tribunal found that she was unfairly dismissed. □ He unfairly blamed Frances for the failure.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] An unfair system or situation does not give equal treatment or equal opportunities to everyone involved. □ The band is suing the show for unfair competition. □ Some have been sentenced to long prison terms after unfair trials. ● un|fair|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] What about the unfairness of life? Why do bad things happen to good people?
u n|fai r di s|mi s|sal N‑UNCOUNT If an employee claims unfair dismissal , they begin a legal action against their employer in which they claim that they were dismissed from their job unfairly. [BUSINESS ] □ His former chauffeur is claiming unfair dismissal on the grounds of racial discrimination.
un|faith|ful /ʌ nfe I θfʊl/ ADJ If someone is unfaithful to their lover or to the person they are married to, they have a sexual relationship with someone else. □ [+ to ] James had been unfaithful to Christine for the entire four years they'd been together. □ …her unfaithful partner.
un|fa|mil|iar /ʌ nfəm I l I ə r /
1 ADJ If something is unfamiliar to you, you know nothing or very little about it, because you have not seen or experienced it before. □ [+ to ] She grew many wonderful plants that were unfamiliar to me. □ I was alone in an unfamiliar city. ● un|fa|mili|ar|ity /ʌ nfəm I liæ r I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft with poss] □ [+ to ] …problems which arise from the newness of the approach and its unfamiliarity to prisoners.
2 ADJ [v-link ADJ with n] If you are unfamiliar with something, it is unfamiliar to you. □ [+ with ] She speaks no Japanese and is unfamiliar with Japanese culture. ● un|fa|mili|ar|ity N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ with ] …her unfamiliarity with the politics of the region.
un|fash|ion|able /ʌ nfæ ʃənəb ə l/
1 ADJ If something is unfashionable , it is not approved of or done by most people. □ Wearing fur has become deeply unfashionable. □ She knew that her views were unfashionable. ● un|fash|ion|ably ADV [usu ADV adj] □ He wears his blonde hair unfashionably long.
2 ADJ Clothes that are unfashionable , are not in fashion. □ …a short woman in a full, unfashionable skirt.
un|fas|ten /ʌ nfɑː s ə n, -fæ s ə n/ (unfastens , unfastening , unfastened ) VERB If you unfasten something that is closed, tied, or held together, or if you unfasten the thing holding it, you loosen or remove the thing holding it. □ [V n] When Ted was six we decided that he needed to know how to fasten and unfasten his seat belt. □ [V n] Reaching down, he unfastened the latch on the gate. □ [V -ed] He once emerged from the toilets with his flies unfastened.
un|fath|om|able /ʌnfæ ðəməb ə l/
1 ADJ If you describe something as unfathomable , you mean that it cannot be understood or explained, usually because it is very strange or complicated. □ For some unfathomable reason, there are no stairs where there should be. □ How odd life was, how unfathomable, how profoundly unjust.
2 ADJ If you use unfathomable to describe a person or the expression on their face, you mean that you cannot tell what they are thinking or what they intend to do. [LITERARY ] □ …a strange, unfathomable and unpredictable individual. □ …the dark eyes that right now seemed opaque and unfathomable.
un|fa|vour|able /ʌ nfe I vərəb ə l/ in AM, use unfavorable 1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Unfavourable conditions or circumstances cause problems for you and reduce your chances of success. □ Unfavourable economic conditions were blocking a recovery of the insurance market. □ Unfavourable weather has had damaging effects on this year's harvest. □ [+ for ] The whole international economic situation is very unfavourable for the countries in the south.
2 ADJ If you have an unfavourable reaction to something, you do not like it. □ A more unfavourable response was given today by the Prime Minister. □ First reactions have been distinctly unfavourable. ● un|fa|vour|ably /ʌ nfe I vərəbli/ ADV [ADV after v] □ When the body reacts unfavourably to food, the pulse rate will go up.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] If you make an unfavourable comparison between two things, you say that one thing seems worse than the other. □ He makes unfavourable comparisons between British and French cooking. ● un|fa|vour|ably ADV [ADV with v] □ Boys tend to compare unfavourably with girls in social and language development.
un|fea|sible /ʌnfiː z I b ə l/ ADJ If you say that something is unfeasible , you mean that you do not think it can be done, made, or achieved. □ The weather made it unfeasible to be outdoors. □ The board said the idea was unfeasible.
un|feel|ing /ʌnfiː l I ŋ/ ADJ If you describe someone as unfeeling , you are criticizing them for their lack of kindness or sympathy for other people. [WRITTEN , DISAPPROVAL ] □ He was branded an unfeeling bully. □ There's no way anyone could accuse this woman of being cold and unfeeling.
un|fet|tered /ʌ nfe tə r d/ ADJ [ADJ n, v-link ADJ , ADJ after v] If you describe something as unfettered , you mean that it is not controlled or limited by anyone or anything. [FORMAL ] □ …unfettered free trade. □ [+ by ] Unfettered by the bounds of reality, my imagination flourished. □ He demanded unfettered access to a new nuclear facility.