un|will|ing /ʌ nw I l I ŋ/
1 ADJ [usu v-link, usu ADJ to-inf] If you are unwilling to do something, you do not want to do it and will not agree to do it. □ Initially the government was unwilling to accept the defeat. □ For months I had been either unwilling or unable to go through with it. ● un|will|ing|ness N‑UNCOUNT [oft N to-inf] □ …their unwillingness to accept responsibility for mistakes.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can use unwilling to describe someone who does not really want to do the thing they are doing. □ A youthful teacher, he finds himself an unwilling participant in school politics. ● un|will|ing|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ My beard had started to grow, and I had unwillingly complied with the order to shave it off. □ Unwillingly, she moved aside.
un|wind /ʌ nwa I nd/ (unwinds , unwinding , unwound )
1 VERB When you unwind , you relax after you have done something that makes you tense or tired. □ [V ] It helps them to unwind after a busy day at work.
2 VERB If you unwind a length of something that is wrapped round something else or round itself, you loosen it and make it straight. You can also say that it unwinds . □ [V n] One of them unwound a length of rope from around his waist. □ [V ] The thread unwound a little more.
un|wise /ʌ nwa I z/ ADJ If you describe something as unwise , you think that it is foolish and likely to lead to a bad result. □ It would be unwise to expect too much. □ …a series of unwise investments in plastics and shipping. ● un|wise|ly ADV [usu ADV with v] □ She accepted that she had acted unwisely and mistakenly.
un|wit|ting /ʌnw I t I ŋ/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe a person or their actions as unwitting , you mean that the person does something or is involved in something without realizing it. □ We're unwitting victims of the system. □ It had been an unwitting blunder on the Prime Minister's part. ● un|wit|ting|ly ADV [usu ADV with v] □ He was unwittingly caught up in the confrontation.
un|work|able /ʌ nwɜː r kəb ə l/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you describe something such as a plan, law, or system as unworkable , you believe that it cannot be successful. □ There is the strong possibility that such cooperation will prove unworkable. □ Washington is unhappy with the peace plan which it views as unworkable.
un|world|ly /ʌ nwɜː r ldli/
1 ADJ If you describe someone as unworldly , you mean that they have not experienced many things in their life and do not know what sort of things usually happen to other people during their lives. □ She was so young, so unworldly. □ [+ about ] He is a little unworldly about such matters.
2 ADJ If you describe someone as unworldly , you mean that they are not interested in having a lot of money or possessions. □ Kitty's family was unworldly, unimpressed by power, or money.
un|wor|thy /ʌnwɜː r ði/
1 ADJ [ADJ to-inf] If a person or thing is unworthy of something good, they do not deserve it. [LITERARY ] □ [+ of ] He felt unworthy of being married to such an attractive woman.
2 ADJ If you say that an action is unworthy of someone, you mean that it is not a nice thing to do and someone with their reputation or position should not do it. [LITERARY ] □ [+ of ] His accusations are unworthy of a prime minister.
un|wound /ʌ nwaʊ nd/ Unwound is the past tense and past participle of unwind .
un|wrap /ʌ nræ p/ (unwraps , unwrapping , unwrapped ) VERB When you unwrap something, you take off the paper, plastic, or other covering that is around it. □ [V n] I untied the bow and unwrapped the small box.
un|writ|ten /ʌ nr I t ə n/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Something such as a book that is unwritten has not been printed or written down. □ Publishers have bought the unwritten book of this trip for very large sums.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] An unwritten rule, law, or agreement is one that is understood and accepted by everyone, although it may not have been formally or officially established. □ They obey the one unwritten rule that binds them all–no talking.
un|yield|ing /ʌnjiː ld I ŋ/
1 ADJ You describe someone as unyielding when they have very strong, fixed ideas about something and are unlikely to change their mind. [WRITTEN ] □ The authorities proved unyielding on one crucial opposition demand. □ His unyielding attitude on this subject was that since he had done it, so could everyone.
2 ADJ If a barrier or surface is unyielding , it is very solid or hard. [LITERARY ] □ …the troopers, who had to build roads through those unyielding mountains. □ He sat on the edge of an unyielding armchair, a cup of tea in his hand.
un|zip /ʌ nz I p/ (unzips , unzipping , unzipped )
1 VERB When you unzip something which is fastened by a zip or when it unzips , you open it by pulling open the zip. □ [V n] James unzipped his bag. □ [V ] This padded changing bag unzips to form a convenient and comfortable mat for nappy changing.
2 VERB To unzip a computer file means to open a file that has been compressed. [COMPUTING ] □ [V n] Unzip the icons into a sub-directory.
up
➊ PREPOSITION, ADVERB, AND ADJECTIVE USES
➋ USED IN COMBINATION AS A PREPOSITION
➌ VERB USES
➊ up ◆◆◆ The preposition is pronounced /ʌp/. The adverb and adjective are pronounced /ʌ p/. Up is often used with verbs of movement such as 'jump' and 'pull', and also in phrasal verbs such as 'give up' and 'wash up'. → Please look at category 22 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.