Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

un|sat|is|fac|tory /ʌ nsæt I sfæ ktəri/ ADJ If you describe something as unsatisfactory , you mean that it is not as good as it should be, and cannot be considered acceptable. □  The inspectors said just under a third of lessons were unsatisfactory. □  He asked a few more questions, to which he received unsatisfactory answers.

un|sat|is|fied /ʌ nsæ t I sfa I d/

1 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you are unsatisfied with something, you are disappointed because you have not got what you hoped to get. □  The game ended a few hours too early, leaving players and spectators unsatisfied. □ [+ with ] The centre helps people who are unsatisfied with the solicitors they are given.

2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If a need or demand is unsatisfied , it is not dealt with. □  …products for which unsatisfied demand exists.

un|sat|is|fy|ing /ʌ nsæ t I sfa I I ŋ/ ADJ If you find something unsatisfying , you do not get any satisfaction from it. □  Rose says so far the marriage has been unsatisfying. □  The boredom is caused as much by people's unsatisfying home lives as by lack of work.

un|sa|voury /ʌnse I vəri/ in AM, use unsavory ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe a person, place, or thing as unsavoury , you mean that you find them unpleasant or morally unacceptable. [DISAPPROVAL ] □  The sport has long been associated with illegal wagers and unsavoury characters.

un|scathed /ʌnske I ðd/ ADJ [ADJ after v, v-link ADJ ] If you are unscathed after a dangerous experience, you have not been injured or harmed by it. □  Tony emerged unscathed apart from a severely bruised finger. □ [+ by ] The east side of the city was left unscathed by the riots.

un|sched|uled /ʌ nʃe djuːld, [AM ] -ske d-/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] An unscheduled event was not planned to happen, but happens unexpectedly or because someone changes their plans at a late stage. □  …an unscheduled meeting with the Foreign Secretary. □  The ship made an unscheduled stop at Hawaii.

un|schooled /ʌ nskuː ld/ ADJ An unschooled person has had no formal education. [LITERARY ] □  …unskilled work done by unschooled people. □  He was almost completely unschooled.

un|sci|en|tif|ic /ʌ nsa I ənt I f I k/ ADJ Research or treatment that is unscientific is not likely to be good because it is not based on facts or is not done in the proper way. □  The team's methods were considered totally unscientific. □  …this small, unscientific sample of voters.

un|scram|ble /ʌ nskræ mb ^ə l/ (unscrambles , unscrambling , unscrambled ) VERB To unscramble things that are in a state of confusion or disorder means to arrange them so that they can be understood or seen clearly. □ [V n] All you have to do is unscramble the words here to find four names of birds. □ [V n] TV users need a set-top device capable of unscrambling the signal.

un|screw /ʌ nskruː / (unscrews , unscrewing , unscrewed )

1 VERB If you unscrew something such as a lid, or if it unscrews , you keep turning it until you can remove it. □ [V n] She unscrewed the cap of her water bottle and gave him a drink. □ [V ] The base of the lamp unscrews for wiring and mounting.

2 VERB If you unscrew something such as a sign or mirror which is fastened to something by screws, you remove it by taking out the screws. □ [V n] He unscrewed the back of the telephone and started connecting it to the cable.