unpainted

unpainted — adjective

1. describes a surface or object that has no paint applied to it, remaining in its

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

describes a surface or object that has no paint applied to it, remaining in its original or natural material state

Example

The wooden fence stayed unpainted and the rain slowly turned it grey.

unpainted + remains/link verb 'stayed' to show state

Amira chose unpainted shelves for the bedroom because she planned to stain them herself.

Common collocations
  • unpainted wood
  • unpainted wall
  • unpainted surface
  • unpainted furniture
  • left unpainted
  • remain unpainted
  • still unpainted
Synonyms
  • bare

    broader term — can mean any surface without covering, not just paint

  • unfinished

    suggests the whole job is incomplete, not just the paint layer

  • raw

    specifically of wood or metal in its natural, untreated state

Antonyms
  • painted

    the direct opposite — coated with paint

  • finished

    implies all surface treatments (paint, varnish, sealant) have been applied

Usage Note

This adjective is most often used with materials that paint is normally applied to, such as wood, walls, metal, or furniture. The noun it describes is typically an object whose appearance changes once paint is added.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Unpainted refers specifically to the absence of paint — a surface may be unpainted but still varnished or sealed. Bare is a broader term meaning without any covering at all, which could apply to skin, floors, or walls regardless of the material. Unfinished implies that a process is incomplete, not just that paint is missing (e.g. an unfinished table might need sanding as well as painting). Raw is used mainly for wood or metal in a completely natural, unprocessed state. For example: 'She bought raw wooden boards and sanded them herself' (untreated, not yet worked on), versus 'The unpainted shed matched the natural landscape' (no paint, but the wood was already treated).

bare ↗unfinished ↗raw ↗untreated

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • leave something unpainted
  • remain unpainted
  • unpainted surface
  • unpainted wood

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed in English by adding the negative prefix un- to the past participle painted, which comes from the verb paint, borrowed from Old French peindre (to paint), itself from Latin pingere (to paint or decorate). The construction 'un- + past participle' has been a productive pattern in English since Old English times, used to form adjectives describing the absence of an action or state.