unfinished

adjective

un·​fin·​ished ˌən-ˈfi-nisht 

: not finished:

a

: not brought to an end or to the desired final state

an unfinished building/play/sentence

b

: being in a rough state : unpolished

unfinished wood

c

: subjected to no other processes (such as bleaching or dyeing) after coming from the loom

Examples of unfinished in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Nike and Zellerfeld‘s Air Max 1000 remains an unfinished project. —Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 30 Apr. 2026

Now, Pacquiao is once again chasing something unfinished. —Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 29 Apr. 2026

In its 2023 announcement, Tiny said Letterboxd would move into television reviews, a potential huge new pool of content, but the expansion remains largely unfinished. —Max Tani, semafor.com, 27 Apr. 2026

Once inside the Crawford home, Lowen becomes entangled with Verity’s husband Jeremy (Josh Hartnett) and uncovers an unfinished manuscript that may reveal disturbing truths about the author. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 27 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1539, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing unfinished

• unfinished business

Rhymes for unfinished

• semifinished
• undiminished
• diminished
• refinished
• finished

Kids Definition

unfinished

adjective

un·​fin·​ished ˌən-ˈfin-isht 

: not finished

especially : not brought to the desired state

unfinished furniture