uncut

uncut — adjective

1. describing a film, book, manuscript, or gemstone that has not been shortened, al

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describing a film, book, manuscript, or gemstone that has not been shortened, altered, or shaped from its original state or form.

Example

The campus cinema showed an uncut version of the Korean thriller with English subtitles.

uncut version (film without cuts or censorship)

Tariq bought an uncut diamond from the market and took it to a jeweller.

uncut diamond (not yet shaped by cutting)

Common collocations
  • uncut version
  • uncut edition
  • uncut footage
  • uncut diamond
  • uncut gem
  • uncut manuscript
Synonyms
  • unabridged

    used only for texts; suggests nothing was left out by the publisher

  • unexpurgated

    specifically means offensive or objectionable parts were not removed; more formal

  • whole

    less specific; simply means nothing is missing

Antonyms
  • abridged

    shortened from the original length, especially for books or films

  • cut

    shaped or shortened by cutting; opposite for gemstones

  • edited

    material that has been reviewed and altered

Grammar Patterns

uncut + noun

Usage Note

Usually placed before the noun it describes. Frequently used for films, books, manuscripts (uncut version, uncut edition), and gemstones (uncut diamond, uncut gem). Not generally used for digital files — use 'unedited' or 'uncompressed' instead.

Common Mistakes

I bought the unabridged diamond from the jeweller.
I bought the uncut diamond from the jeweller.
'Unabridged' is only used for texts; 'uncut' describes gems that have not been cut or shaped.

2. describing hair, grass, or fingernails that have been allowed to grow long witho

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

describing hair, grass, or fingernails that have been allowed to grow long without being trimmed or cut short.

Example

The garden looked wild with uncut grass reaching up to Ada's knees.

uncut grass (vegetation not mown)

Élise tied her uncut hair into a loose bun before going to the gym.

uncut hair (not trimmed)

Common collocations
  • uncut hair
  • uncut grass
  • uncut nails
  • uncut beard
  • uncut weeds
  • uncut fur
Synonyms
  • untrimmed

    slightly more formal; works for hair, grass, and hedges

  • overgrown

    suggests the wild or messy result of not cutting, not the state itself

  • long

    simply describes length; does not imply it should have been cut

Antonyms
  • trimmed

    cut to a neat or shorter shape

  • shorn

    cut short, especially for hair or wool

  • mown

    cut with a machine, specifically for grass

Grammar Patterns

uncut + noun (hair, grass, nails)

Usage Note

Typically describes hair, facial hair, grass, nails, or fur. For trees and hedges, 'untrimmed' or 'unpruned' is more common. 'Unshorn' is an alternative for wool or animal fur.

Common Mistakes

The forest path was blocked by uncut trees.
The forest path was blocked by fallen trees.
'Uncut' is used for grass and small plants, not for trees that have grown wild.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Unabridged' is the closest synonym for books and recordings — it means nothing has been left out from the original text, whereas 'uncut' has a broader scope (films, gems, manuscripts). 'Unexpurgated' is more specific: it means offensive or controversial material has been kept in, while 'uncut' simply means nothing was removed for any reason. 'Unedited' focuses on the process of review — an unedited text may still be shortened later, whereas an uncut text has not been altered at all. For example: 'She bought the unabridged audiobook' (all chapters present); 'The documentary contains unexpurgated interviews' (raw language kept in); 'The uncut gemstone' (not shaped) — here only 'uncut' works.

unabridgedunexpurgatedunedited

Common collocations

Nouns

  • uncut version
  • uncut hair
  • uncut grass
  • uncut diamond
  • uncut footage
  • uncut manuscript

Phrases

  • in its uncut form
  • leave something uncut

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Formed by adding the Old English prefix 'un-' (meaning 'not') to 'cut', the past participle of the verb 'cut'. The word has been used since the late 1500s to describe diamonds that had not been shaped, and by the 1600s it was also applied to texts that had not been shortened.