undone
/ʌnˈdʌn/ (bre, ipa) · [əndˈʌn] /ʌnˈdʌn/ (ame, ipa) · [əndˈʌn] /ˌən-ˈdən How to pronounce undone (audio)/ (ame, mw)
undone — adjective
- undonepositive
- more undonecomparative
- most undonesuperlative
1. no longer tied, buttoned, or closed, so that something is loose or open
no longer tied, buttoned, or closed, so that something is loose or open
Bao bent down and noticed that his shoelace had come undone during the morning run.
come undone (collocation for fastenings)
Yael tried to redo the button that came undone on her coat before the interview.
The zipper on Layla's suitcase came undone, and her clothes spilled onto the floor.
The rope came undone while Faisal was climbing the rock wall near the old bridge.
- loose
less specific — loose can describe anything not tight, not just fastenings
- unfastened
more formal and general; used for any type of closure
文法句型
come undone
be undone
leave something undone
用法筆記
Often used in the expression come undone to describe a fastening that becomes loose by accident. Unlike sense 3 (UNFINISHED), this sense always refers to a physical object that was previously fastened.
常見錯誤
2. completely destroyed or defeated by a severe misfortune, with no realistic chanc
completely destroyed or defeated by a severe misfortune, with no realistic chance of recovery
After the business collapsed, Sirin felt completely undone and lost all hope for the future.
completely undone (intensifier + figurative sense)
The fragile peace treaty was undone by a single act of violence along the disputed border.
Camille knew that the online scandal had undone her reputation beyond any chance of repair.
Decades of conservation work were undone in a few hours by the forest fire.
文法句型
be undone
feel undone
leave someone undone
用法筆記
Primarily found in formal or literary English. In everyday conversation, ruined or destroyed are more common. The subject of the destruction typically appears after by (e.g., 'undone by greed,' 'undone by scandal').
常見錯誤
3. not yet started, completed, or taken care of
not yet started, completed, or taken care of
Mateo left his homework undone and rushed out to catch the school bus on time.
leave + noun + undone (common pattern for unfinished tasks)
The kitchen renovation remained undone for nearly six months after the contractor quit.
Nkechi made a list of undone chores before the dinner guests arrived at the house.
Paul's college application sat undone on his desk while he waited for his documents to arrive.
- unfinished
focuses on things that were started but not completed; more common with creative work
- incomplete
suggests that parts are missing; more formal
- pending
formal; suggests a task is waiting to be dealt with
文法句型
leave something undone
remain undone
be undone
用法筆記
Frequently appears after the verb leave — 'to leave something undone.' Unlike sense 1 (UNFASTENED), this sense does not refer to physical objects being untied or unbuttoned; it applies to tasks, work, and responsibilities.