unripe

adjective

un·​ripe ˌən-ˈrīp How to pronounce unripe (audio)
1
: not ripe : immature
unripe fruit
2
: not ready : unprepared
unripe plans
unripeness noun

Examples of unripe in a Sentence

Bananas are green when unripe. unripe and unprepared recruits who were sent into battle as cannon fodder
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Papaya trees dot their small cattle farm on which the property sits, so Rodríguez takes advantage of the vegetal unripe fruits in a twist on classic Mexican jalapeños en escabeche. Ingrid Merary Rodríguez Luna, Saveur, 26 Feb. 2025 Flavors include unripe pears and the mid palate has a honeyed varnish. Tom Mullen, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025 These early albums are a little unripe in places, but there are signs of the writer Carpenter would become. Abby Aguirre, Vogue, 11 Feb. 2025 For centuries Champagne producers set large crops, harvested unripe fruit and bolstered their lackadaisical vineyard efforts by adding copious amounts of sugar (dosage), with uniformity and consistency being the goal. Patrick Comiskey, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for unripe

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unripe was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unripe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unripe. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

unripe

adjective
un·​ripe ˌən-ˈrīp How to pronounce unripe (audio)
ˈən-
: not ripe : immature
unripe fruit

More from Merriam-Webster on unripe

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!