Dictionary

uneven en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ʌnˈivən/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English uneven, from Old English unefen (“unequal, unlike, dissimilar, diverse, irregular”), equivalent to un- + even. Cognate with Dutch oneven (“unequal, uneven, odd”), German uneben (“uneven, rough, irregular, bumpy”).

Meanings

1. Of a surface, not even; covered with raised spots, pits and grooves.
2. Not level or smooth.
3. Not uniform.
   • I've spent hours on overcrowded trains, and time on ones which were almost empty, because the recovery [from COVID] has been uneven. 2022 November 30, Paul Bigland, “Destination Oban: a Sunday in Scotland”, in RAIL, number 971, page 79:
4. Varying in quality.
   • Even white activists who lacked a thoroughgoing anti-racist consciousness or were uneven in their understanding saw unity in the struggle against all forms of oppression as key. 2006 October 5, Leslie Feinberg, “Early left-wing liberation: 'Unity with all the oppressed'”, in Workers World:
5. (rare) Odd.

Forms

Antonyms

even

Deriveds

unevenness · unevenly · uneven bars

Relateds

unequal · irregular

Synonyms

rough · jagged

Translations (100)

ka არასწორი ((about surface) not even) · ca desigual ((about surface) not even) · grc ἀνώμαλος ((about surface) not even) · es desparejo (not level or smooth) · de uneben ((about surface) not even) · ga aimhréidh (not level or smooth) · la impār ((about surface) not even) · pdt ruch (not level or smooth) · mi karawhiti (not uniform) · cs nerovný ((about surface) not even) · eo malebena ((about surface) not even) · es dispar (not uniform) · uk нері́вний (not level or smooth) · ca escabrós (not uniform) · ka უსწორმასწორო (not level or smooth) · mi pāhikahika (not uniform) · pl nierównomierny (not uniform) · ga míchothrom (not level or smooth) · nb ujamn (not level or smooth) · es disparejo (not uniform) · mi kūreureu (not uniform) · bg нечетен ((about surface) not even) · ru неровный (varying in quality) · be няро́ўны (not level or smooth) · fr scabreux (not level or smooth) · da ujævn ((about surface) not even) · mi pāhikahika ((about surface) not even) · es desparejo (not uniform) · cs nerovnoměrný (not level or smooth) · de uneben (not level or smooth) · ru неро́вный ((about surface) not even) · fi epätasainen (not level or smooth) · eo neregula (not uniform) · ka არათანაბარი ((about surface) not even) · la inīquus ((about surface) not even) · eo nesamforma (not uniform) · mi whakanokenoke (not level or smooth) · ga míchothrom ((about surface) not even) · ka უსწორმასწორო ((about surface) not even) · fi pariton ((about surface) not even) · ga anacair ((about surface) not even) · mi karawhiti ((about surface) not even) · ru неравноме́рный (not uniform) · mi moana ((about surface) not even) · bg неравен (not level or smooth) · ru неро́вный (not level or smooth) · es disparejo (varying in quality) · hu egyenetlen (not level or smooth) · eo monotona (not level or smooth) · es despatronizado (varying in quality) · nl oneven ((about surface) not even) · pt despadronizado (varying in quality) · ang unsmēþe (not level or smooth) · sv ojämn (varying in quality) · es desparejo (varying in quality) · ka უთანასწორო ((about surface) not even) · pt desnivelado (not level or smooth) · da ujævn (not level or smooth) · la asper (not level or smooth) · ru негла́дкий (not level or smooth) · nb ujamn ((about surface) not even) · grc ἀνώμαλος (not level or smooth) · fi epäsäännöllinen (not uniform) · ca escabrós (not level or smooth) · bg непостоянен (not uniform) · nn ujamn ((about surface) not even) · ru шерохова́тый (not level or smooth) · pl nierówny (varying in quality) · pl nierówny (not level or smooth) · pt desuniforme (not uniform) · fr inégal (not level or smooth) · es desigual ((about surface) not even) · ru нечётный ((about surface) not even) · nn ujamn (not level or smooth) · da ujævn (varying in quality) · bg грапав (not level or smooth) · eo varia kvalito (varying in quality) · ca rugós (not level or smooth) · ro denivelat (not level or smooth) · bg неравномерен (not uniform) · nb kupert ((about surface) not even) · grc ἄνισος ((about surface) not even) · nb ujevn (not level or smooth) · nb ujevn ((about surface) not even) · es dispar (varying in quality) · mi torehapehape (not level or smooth) · sv ojämn ((about surface) not even) · ka უთანაბრო ((about surface) not even) · pl nierówny ((about surface) not even) · bg нееднакъв (varying in quality) · ca escabrós ((about surface) not even) · cs nerovnoměrný (not uniform) · pt desigual ((about surface) not even) · es escabroso ((about surface) not even) · es desnivelado (not level or smooth) · bg тек ((about surface) not even) · ga cnocánach (not level or smooth) · mi pāhiwihiwi (not level or smooth) · grc ἄνισος (not level or smooth) · es disparejo (not level or smooth)

uneven en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ʌnˈivən/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English uneven, from Old English unefen (“unequal, unlike, dissimilar, diverse, irregular”), equivalent to un- + even. Cognate with Dutch oneven (“unequal, uneven, odd”), German uneben (“uneven, rough, irregular, bumpy”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To make uneven.
   • First, of course, the war reduced the white male, mostly young adult, population by more than a quarter-million, unevening the sex ratio and connubial and other opportunities for women for perhaps a generation. 2006, Jack Temple Kirby, Mockingbird Song: Ecological Landscapes of the South, page 128:
   • Initially it nestled among the dozens of Indian mounds that unevened the earth near the river until they were leveled to accommodate commerce. 1993, Travel Holiday, volume 176, page 56:

Forms