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

Relevance

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 As the September 12 Primetime Emmys approach, Hargitay shared insights on her preparations, including a collaboration with the staff of a newly unemployed late-night host. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2026 The survey, counting in people who have been jobless for the past two years and are no longer covered in the official labor force survey, also showed that more than half of the roughly 24 million long-term unemployed are aged 16 to 24. — Anniek Bao,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 17 Aug. 2026 Primarily a portrait photographer, Lange began photographing unemployed men wandering the streets of San Francisco during the early years of the Great Depression, starkly capturing their desperation. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Aug. 2026 With Papa currently unemployed, the David Benzer Strike Out Fear Foundation created a fundraiser to help with Papa’s medical expenses. — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unemployed

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unemployed

jobless

Adjective

Weekly jobless claims and the Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook are on the economic calendar for Thursday.

— Kevin Stankiewicz,Jeff Marks, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026
In addition, jobless claims have hovered around 200,000 a week, and the number of job openings has been rising over the past six months, Slok pointed out.

— Jason Ma, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of jobless

Browse Nearby Words

unemployable

unemployed

unemployment

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Unemployed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unemployed. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of unemployed

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

kith

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes