as in low
belonging to the class of people of low social or economic rank
a TV producer who knew what the unwashed masses wanted—and unhesitatingly gave it to them
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in masses
people looked down upon as ignorant and of the lowest class
Aunt Edna was fond of snootily reminding us that we need not take our manners from the great unwashed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unwashed
Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Feb. 2026
Wash them just before using them but be sure to store them unwashed.
—Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 26 Jan. 2026
Salmonella can contaminate food in various ways, the CDC says, either through the water used to grow fruits and vegetables, or by cross-contamination caused by unwashed hands or food preparation instruments.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
—Mark Prussin, CBS News, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unwashed
Adjective
Wrap your unwashed roots in a paper towel to absorb any potential moisture, then store the carrots in a zip-top bag or airtight container in your refrigerator’s crisper drawer for up to 4 weeks.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Feb. 2026
Wash them just before using them but be sure to store them unwashed.
—Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 26 Jan. 2026
Salmonella can contaminate food in various ways, the CDC says, either through the water used to grow fruits and vegetables, or by cross-contamination caused by unwashed hands or food preparation instruments.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
—Mark Prussin, CBS News, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unwashed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwashed
Adjective
-
Customers in Upper Chichester, Lower Chichester, Marcus Hook and Twin Oaks, might experience low to no water pressure as the main break affects the area.—
Tom Ignudo,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
While the data show overall birth outcomes improving — declining rates of prematurity, low birth weight, and infant mortality — disparities are still prevalent, particularly for Black women.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But the earlier dolls were crude, lumpen things, a cross between a beanbag and a sculpted potato.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Yet Empire Falls translates into a lumpen, stodgy miniseries, despite a fine central performance from Harris as a divorced diner owner with deep roots in the town and a structure that allows the past to keep informing and enriching the present.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2024
Noun
-
There’s a rabble-rousing politician with grievances galore.—
Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Tanner spoke in a blend of political rabble-rousing and entrepreneurial uplift.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
There wasn’t anything inherently wrong with this, but outsourcing the writing to professionals only underscored the degree to which this humble document, once meant to blunt the puffery of the cover letter, had now become the leading weapon in the job seeker’s arsenal.—
Stephen Mihm,
Twin Cities,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Sporks have come a long way from their humble beginnings in Rhode Island, and as the traveler’s preferred eating utensil, they’re destined to go ever further.—
James Stout,
Outside,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The crocodile’s rare appearance represented a disheartening degradation but a hopeful sign of what the Niger Delta, if salvaged, can still become — an eco-diverse paradise akin to the Amazon or Costa Rica, that feeds its populace and attracts foreign visitors wanting to witness nature’s glory.—
Noo Saro-Wiwa,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The seeming absoluteness of scientific thinking may predispose many medical practitioners or public health workers to assume the populace trust them, that evidential claims naturally validate interventions — no further Q&A needed.—
Cory Anderson,
STAT,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This one is about a regular old guy, a hedge knight in the plebeian population of Westeros, just trying to get by in a world that isn't kind to the common and poor.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Below that sits the pedestrian CLK 500 and plebeian CLK 350.—
Jeremy Korzeniewski,
Robb Report,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Against all expectations, the judges spared Henry, and Badinter’s arguments gained traction with the French public.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
-
When the world is topsy-turvy, the theatergoing public seeks explanations.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But West Virginia is a proletarian locale that until not long ago was a Democratic stronghold.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
-
These ranged from the aristocratic elite who dominated the military and bureaucracy and yearned for a return to monarchy, to communists who sought proletarian rule, to the National Socialists who wanted to establish a right-wing dictatorship.—
Time,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unwashed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwashed. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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