uneven

B2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ʌnˈivən/ See IPA manual

Freq #20557

Meanings

1

adj
Not smooth, level, or flat.

She tripped on the uneven pavement.
2

adj
Not the same throughout; varying in quality or amount.

The recovery from the crisis has been uneven across the country.
3

adj
Of a contest: not fairly matched.

It was an uneven battle between the small team and the champions.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · not smooth, level, or flat. bumpy rough

2 adj · not the same throughout;... inconsistent

3 adj · of a contest: not fairly... mismatched

Word family

Derived forms unevenly unevenness

Related forms irregular unequal

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

uneven color
a shade or coloring that varies across an area instead of being uniform

Adjective + noun

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”).

uneven Middle English unefen Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# uneven

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ʌnˈivən/
**Frequency rank:** 20557

## Meanings
1. Not smooth, level, or flat.
2. Not the same throughout; varying in quality or amount.
3. Of a contest: not fairly matched.

## Examples
- She tripped on the uneven pavement.
- The recovery from the crisis has been uneven across the country.
- It was an uneven battle between the small team and the champions.

## Synonyms
- rough

## Derived Forms
- unevenly
- unevenness

## Related Forms
- irregular
- unequal

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: uneven
- Root: unefen

## 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”).

## AI Etymology
Uneven is 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”). The historical line also includes Middle English uneven, Old English unefen. In present-day use, it can mean not smooth, level, or flat, or not the same throughout; varying in quality or amount. Derived formations include unevenly, unevenness.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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