un|rea|son|able /ʌnriː zənəb ə l/
1 ADJ If you say that someone is being unreasonable , you mean that they are behaving in a way that is not fair or sensible. □ [+ in ] The strikers were being unreasonable in their demands, having rejected the deal two weeks ago. □ It was her unreasonable behaviour which broke up their friendship. □ It's unreasonable to expect your child to behave in a caring way if you behave selfishly. ● un|rea|son|ably /ʌnriː zənəbli/ ADV □ We unreasonably expect near perfect behaviour from our children.
2 ADJ An unreasonable decision, action, price, or amount seems unfair and difficult to justify. □ …unreasonable increases in the price of petrol. □ One in four consumers now say water prices are very unreasonable. ● un|rea|son|ably ADV [usu ADV adj] □ The banks' charges are unreasonably high.
un|rea|son|ing /ʌnriː zən I ŋ/ ADJ [ADJ n] Unreasoning feelings or actions are not logical, sensible, or controlled. [LITERARY ] □ At this moment of success I found only an unreasoning sense of futility. □ Niki's voice provoked a new bout of unreasoning anger.
un|rec|og|niz|able /ʌ nre kəgna I zəbl, -na I z-/ in BRIT, also use unrecognisable ADJ If someone or something is unrecognizable , they have become impossible to recognize or identify, for example because they have been greatly changed or damaged. □ Jean's face was twisted, unrecognizable. □ [+ to ] The new town would have been unrecognisable to the original inhabitants.
un|rec|og|nized /ʌ nre kəgna I zd/ in BRIT, also use unrecognised 1 ADJ [ADJ after v, v-link ADJ ] If someone does something unrecognized , nobody knows or recognizes them while they do it. □ He is believed to have worked unrecognised as a doorman at East End clubs.
2 ADJ [ADJ after v, v-link ADJ , ADJ n] If something is unrecognized , people are not aware of it. □ There is the possibility that hypothermia can go unrecognized. □ There must be many vases, bowls or bottles sitting unrecognised in people's homes.
3 ADJ [ADJ after v, v-link ADJ , ADJ n] If you or your achievements or qualities are unrecognized , you have not been properly appreciated or acknowledged by other people for what you have done. □ Hard work and talent so often go unrecognised and unrewarded. □ There really is a wealth of unrecognised talent out there.
4 ADJ [ADJ n, v-link ADJ ] An unrecognized organization, position, or event is not formally acknowledged as legal or valid by the authorities. □ He claimed that the rank of Cardinal was unrecognized by those who were not Catholic.
un|re|con|struct|ed /ʌ nriːkənstrʌ kt I d/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe systems, beliefs, policies, or people as unreconstructed , you are critical of them because they have not changed at all, in spite of new ideas and circumstances. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …the unreconstructed racism of the official opposition. □ She accused him of being an unreconstructed male chauvinist.
un|re|cord|ed /ʌ nr I kɔː r d I d/ ADJ [ADJ n, v-link ADJ , ADJ after v] You use unrecorded to describe something that has not been written down or recorded officially, especially when it should have been. □ The statistics don't reveal, of course, unrecorded crime. □ 7,000 people had been infected, but many cases were going unrecorded.
un|re|fined /ʌ nr I fa I nd/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] An unrefined food or other substance is in its natural state and has not been processed. □ Unrefined carbohydrates include brown rice and other grains. □ …the price of unrefined oil as it comes out of the ground.
un|re|hearsed /ʌ nr I hɜː r st/ ADJ Unrehearsed activities or performances have not been prepared, planned, or practised beforehand. □ In fact, the recordings were mostly unrehearsed improvisations.
un|re|lat|ed /ʌ nr I le I t I d/
1 ADJ If one thing is unrelated to another, there is no connection between them. You can also say that two things are unrelated . □ [+ to ] My line of work is entirely unrelated to politics. □ Two of them died from apparently unrelated causes.
2 ADJ If one person is unrelated to another, they are not members of the same family. You can also say that two people are unrelated . [WRITTEN ] □ [+ to ] Jimmy is adopted and thus unrelated to Beth by blood.
un|re|lent|ing /ʌ nr I le nt I ŋ/
1 ADJ If you describe someone's behaviour as unrelenting , you mean that they are continuing to do something in a very determined way, often without caring whether they hurt or embarrass other people. □ She established her authority with unrelenting thoroughness. □ In the face of severe opposition and unrelenting criticism, the task seemed overwhelming.
2 ADJ If you describe something unpleasant as unrelenting , you mean that it continues without stopping. □ …an unrelenting downpour of rain.
un|re|li|able /ʌ nr I la I əb ə l/ ADJ If you describe a person, machine, or method as unreliable , you mean that you cannot trust them. □ Diplomats can be a notoriously unreliable and misleading source of information. □ He had an unreliable car. ● un|re|li|abil|ity /ʌ nr I la I əb I l I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT □ …his lateness and unreliability.
un|re|lieved /ʌ nr I liː vd/ ADJ If you describe something unpleasant as unrelieved , you mean that it is very severe and is not replaced by anything better, even for a short time. □ …unrelieved misery. □ [+ by ] The sun baked down on the concrete, unrelieved by any breeze.
un|re|mark|able /ʌ nr I mɑː r kəb ə l/ ADJ If you describe someone or something as unremarkable , you mean that they are very ordinary, without many exciting, original, or attractive qualities. □ …a tall, lean man, with an unremarkable face. □ …a rather unremarkable town in North Wales.