uneven

adjective

un·​even ˌən-ˈē-vən How to pronounce uneven (audio)
1
a
archaic : unequal sense 1a
2
a
: not even : not level or smooth : rugged, ragged
large uneven teeth
uneven handwriting
b
: varying from the straight or parallel
c
: not uniform : irregular
uneven combustion
d
: varying in quality
an uneven performance
3
: unequal sense 3a
an uneven confrontation
unevenly adverb
unevenness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for uneven

rough, harsh, uneven, rugged, scabrous mean not smooth or even.

rough implies points, bristles, ridges, or projections on the surface.

a rough wooden board

harsh implies a surface or texture distinctly unpleasant to the touch.

a harsh fabric that chafes the skin

uneven implies a lack of uniformity in height, breadth, or quality.

an old house with uneven floors

rugged implies irregularity or roughness of land surface and connotes difficulty of travel.

a rugged landscape

scabrous implies scaliness or prickliness of surface.

a scabrous leaf

Examples of uneven in a Sentence

His breathing was shallow and uneven. You should check your car's tires often for signs of uneven wear. an uneven distribution of wealth We have an uneven number of players, so we'll have to rotate.
Recent Examples on the Web That person can be faulty and uneven, immoral and unhinged. Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2024 Azusa Pacific’s uneven regular season performance — the Cougars lost seven straight at one point early and three straight during conference play — was all but forgotten as coach Peter Bond and seniors George Reidy and Ken West celebrated with the conference championship trophy after the game. Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, uneven access to broadband services throughout the state could hamper the transfer of landline customers to more advanced voice technology. Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards, The Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2024 Switching between the different threads stiffens the narrative, forcing it to take shortcuts and assume an uneven pace in order to give each part of the plot its due. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2024 There’s a lot to love in Gangs of New York — sprawling period sets, exhilarating battle sequences, Daniel Day-Lewis’ turn as Bill the Butcher — but its pacing feels more uneven than in the director's other lengthy films. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2024 The growth occurred in uneven spurts, indicating structural weaknesses in the economy and spurring action from the government going into 2024. Peter Aitken, Fox News, 9 Mar. 2024 That includes underground factors like a sinkhole in the limestone underneath the tower or uneven settlement of the building’s foundation. Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 In 2022, Cerveny spoke with The Republic about how the uneven distribution of weather monitoring stations and meteorologists around the world means more attention gets paid to weather extremes that take place in richer countries. The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'uneven.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of uneven was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near uneven

Cite this Entry

“Uneven.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uneven. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

uneven

adjective
un·​even ˌən-ˈē-vən How to pronounce uneven (audio)
ˈən-
1
: not even : not level or smooth : rugged, ragged
large uneven teeth
uneven handwriting
2
: varying from the straight or parallel
3
: not constant : irregular
uneven earnings
4
: varying in quality
an uneven performance
unevenly adverb
unevenness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on uneven

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