Meanings
uncleanly1
comparative more uncleanly · superlative most uncleanly
- Dirty, unhygienic, not clean.
Prosodemic typhoid from its nature may be disseminated in innumerable ways, but is more frequently found in slum districts, where the habits of the people are uncleanly, or in districts where there is no adequate sewerage.
1907, Annual Report, Ohio. State Board of Health
uncleanly2
comparative more uncleanly · superlative most uncleanly
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
uncleanly · adjective
- Old Englishunclǣnlīc
- Middle Englishunclenlī
- Englishuncleanly
From Middle English unclenlī, onclenlich, from Old English unclǣnlīc, equivalent to un- + cleanly.
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →uncleanly · adverb
- Middle Englishunclenly
- Englishuncleanly
From Middle English unclenly, onclenly, unclenely; compare Old English unclǣnlīce; equivalent to unclean + -ly.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Latvian nešķīsts, neķītrs
- nešķīstsmorally or religiously impure
- neķītrsmorally or religiously impure
- netīrīgsnot cleanly
- netīrinot cleanly
Cite this entry
uncleanly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/uncleanly
“uncleanly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/uncleanly. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “uncleanly,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/uncleanly.
Source: uncleanly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.