unused
gb/ʌnjˈuzd/ us/ʌnjˈuzd/
B1
English
~ 7900
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B1
property
1
not in use right now
Not being used at that time, especially when it could be used.
Usage pattern:
an unused [room/space/item/resource]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say "not used room" instead of "unused room." Use "unused" before a noun (e.g., "an unused ticket") and "not used" after a verb (e.g., "The ticket was not used").
Synonyms
idle (Suggests not in use or not active, sometimes with a negative feel of being wasted.)
Antonyms
occupied (Describes something that is currently being used or taken by someone.)
Collocations
unused room
|unused space
|unused equipment
|unused capacity
|sit unused
Themes
daily-life
|objects
|work
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Examples
- Several meeting rooms were still unused after the conference started.
- The spare bedroom has been unused for months since our guest left.
- A lot of computer equipment remains unused in the storage closet.
- The extra chairs are unused and stacked at the back of the hall.
Learner examples
- The classroom was unused on Saturday.
- We put the unused chairs in the corner.
- There is a lot of unused space in the garden.
- This road is almost unused at night.
adjective
B1
property
2
never or not yet used
Not used before, or not used yet, so it is still all there or still new.
Usage pattern:
unused [tickets/money/time/leaves/items]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "unused" with "new" and "unopened." "Unused" means nothing has been used yet, but the thing might not be brand-new (for example, an unused ticket from last year). For money or days off, do not say "not used money" or "not used vacation"; say "unused money" or "unused vacation days."
Synonyms
remaining (Focuses on what is left over, not specifically on the idea of never having been used.)
Antonyms
used (Means already taken, spent, or employed, so no longer completely available.)
Collocations
unused ticket
|unused funds
|unused vacation days
|unused sick leave
|unused portion
Themes
business
|work
|finance
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Examples
- You can receive a refund for any unused tickets after the event.
- The company returned the unused funds to the client at the end of the project.
- I still have three days of unused vacation from last year.
- Please throw away any unused portions of the medicine after seven days.
Learner examples
- I found an unused notebook that is still empty.
- We must use our unused tickets before they expire.
- She had some unused vacation days at the end of the year.
- There is a lot of unused data that we never checked.
adjective
B2
state
3
not accustomed to something
Not used to something, so it feels strange or hard.
Usage pattern:
be unused to [something/doing something]
Common mistake:
Learners often write "not used to" when they mean this sense, which is correct but uses a different structure: "be not used to [something]" vs. "be unused to [something]." Both are grammatical, but "unused to" is more formal and less common in everyday speech. Do not confuse this with "used to do" (past habit), which has a different meaning and grammar.
Synonyms
unaccustomed (A slightly more formal word; otherwise very close in meaning to "unused" in this sense.)
Antonyms
accustomed (Means familiar with something because it happens often or has happened for a long time.)
Collocations
unused to the cold
|unused to criticism
|unused to public speaking
|unused to working nights
Themes
emotions
|psychology
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She was unused to the heat and felt exhausted after a short walk.
- He is unused to criticism and took the comments very personally.
- I am still unused to driving on the left side of the road.
- They seemed unused to speaking in front of large audiences.
Learner examples
- She is unused to the cold weather here.
- He is unused to speaking English for many hours.
- I am unused to working late at night.
- They are unused to big city life.
Grammar
Dictionary form
unused
IPA
GB/ʌnjˈuzd/
US/ʌnjˈuzd/
Syllables & stress
un - used (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (used)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: unused
Word family
Expressions
be unused to
1/bˈi ʌnjˈuzd tə/
fixed phrase
to not be accustomed to something
To not be familiar with something, so it feels strange, new, or hard.
Examples
- She is unused to the noise in the city and finds it hard to sleep.
- I was unused to such long meetings, so I felt very tired afterwards.