uneven

uneven
[[t]ʌ̱ni͟ːv(ə)n[/t]]
1) ADJ-GRADED An uneven surface or edge is not smooth, flat, or straight.

He staggered on the uneven surface of the car park...

She gazed round the church at the grey uneven walls and the vivid stained glass windows.

...uneven teeth.

Ant:
Derived words:
unevenly ADV-GRADED ADV with v

...wearing dresses that pinched at the armholes, that hung as unevenly as flags...

My cuticles were split and ragged, and my nails unevenly bitten.

2) ADJ-GRADED Something that is uneven is not regular or consistent.

He could hear that her breathing was uneven...

What kids experience now is an uneven rate of development. They are forced to be older than their years.

Derived words:
unevenly ADV-GRADED ADV with v

Winds are generated by the sun as it unevenly heats the earth's surface...

The steaks were unevenly cooked.

3) ADJ-GRADED If you describe something as uneven, you think it is not very good because it is not consistent in quality.

This was, for him, an oddly uneven performance...

The acting is wildly uneven.

Syn:
4) ADJ-GRADED: usu ADJ n An uneven system or situation is unfairly arranged or organized.

Some of the victims are complaining loudly about the uneven distribution of emergency aid...

It was an uneven contest.

Syn:
Derived words:
unevenly ADV-GRADED ADV with v

Within a free enterprise capitalist society, resources are very unevenly distributed.


English dictionary. 2008.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?
Synonyms:
, , , / / ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • uneven — UK US /ʌnˈiːvən/ adjective ► not following a regular or steady pattern, or not the same in every part: »The regional impact of the fall in house prices is uneven, with modest declines predicted in the south east, while values are set to fall much …   Financial and business terms

  • Uneven — Un*e ven, a. [AS. unefen. See {Un } not, and {Even}, a.] 1. Not even; not level; not uniform; rough; as, an uneven road or way; uneven ground. [1913 Webster] 2. Not equal; not of equal length. [1913 Webster] Hebrew verse consists of uneven feet.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • uneven — index broken (interrupted), disordered, disorderly, disparate, disproportionate, inequitable, one sided …   Law dictionary

  • uneven — O.E. unefen unequal, from UN (Cf. un ) (1) not + EVEN (Cf. even). Cf. O.Fris. oniovn, M.Du. oneven, O.H.G. uneban, Ger. uneben, O.N. ujafn. Meaning irregular, broken, rugged (in ref. to terrain, etc.) is recorded from late 13c …   Etymology dictionary

  • uneven — *rough, harsh, rugged, scabrous Antonyms: even Contrasted words: *level, flat, plane, smooth: equable, even, uniform, *steady, constant …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • uneven — [adj] not smooth or balanced asperous, asymmetrical, broken, bumpy, changeable, craggy, differing, discrepant, disparate, disproportionate, fitful, fluctuating, harsh, ill matched, intermittent, irregular, jagged, jerky, leftover, lopsided,… …   New thesaurus

  • uneven — ► ADJECTIVE 1) not level or smooth. 2) not regular, consistent, or equal. DERIVATIVES unevenly adverb unevenness noun …   English terms dictionary

  • uneven — [un ē′vən] adj. [ME < OE unefen] not even; specif., a) not level, smooth, or flat; rough; irregular b) not straight or parallel c) unequal, as in length or thickness d) not uniform; varying; fluctuating e) not equally balanced or matched …   English World dictionary

  • uneven — adjective Date: before 12th century 1. a. archaic unequal 1a b. odd 3a 2. a. not even ; not level or smooth ; rugged, ragged < large uneven teeth > …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • uneven — un|e|ven [ʌnˈi:vən] adj 1.) not smooth, flat, or level ▪ She walked back carefully over the uneven ground. 2.) not regular ▪ His breathing had become uneven. ▪ uneven rates of development 3.) not equal or equally balanced ▪ an uneven distribution …   Dictionary of contemporary English

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”