UNEMPLOYED Synonyms: 7 Similar and Opposite Words

unemployed

adjective

ˌən-im-ˈplȯid

Definition of unemployed

as in out of work

having no job the plant closings left a significant portion of the town's population unemployed

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of unemployed Examples of financial situation changes include job loss, significant pay cuts, high out-of-pocket medical or dental costs, divorce or a family member becoming unemployed. — Amy Deyoung, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026 Most of the people who sell their plasma tend to be under 35, unemployed, without a college degree, Black and male, according to a 2021 study based on two proprietary national surveys conducted between 2018 and 2021. — Cnn Staff, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026 When the Great Depression shuttered factories, unemployed workers lined up at soup kitchens. — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026 This includes not only people who are unemployed and looking for a job, but also those who are involuntarily working part-time and who are earning poverty-level wages, or less than $26,000 annually before taxes. — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unemployed

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unemployed

jobless

Adjective

That score saw its fourth consecutive increase in July, contrasting with the official jobless rate that has been steadily declining this year.

— Jason Ma, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
Weekly jobless claims and the Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook are on the economic calendar for Thursday.

— Kevin Stankiewicz,Jeff Marks, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of jobless

Browse Nearby Words

unemployable

unemployed

unemployment

See all Nearby Words

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Style

“Unemployed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unemployed. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of unemployed

adjective

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