unpave

IPA/ʌnpˈeɪv/
IPA/ʌnpˈeɪv/

unpave — verb

  • unpavepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • unpaves3rd person singular
  • unpaving-ing form
  • unpavedpast simple

1. to tear up and remove a hard artificial surface (such as asphalt, concrete, or p

1.verbtransitive
Definition

to tear up and remove a hard artificial surface (such as asphalt, concrete, or paving stones) from a road, path, parking area, or other stretch of ground, often with the goal of returning the land to a more natural state or replacing it with a different surface.

Example

The council voted to unpave the old square and create a park with grass.

unpave [surface] and replace with greenery

Volunteers helped unpave the alley so the children could plant a vegetable garden.

unpave [surface] so [people] can [do something]

Common collocations
  • unpave a road
  • unpave a parking lot
  • unpave a driveway
  • unpave an alley
  • unpave a street
  • unpave a path
  • unpave the way for
Synonyms
  • remove paving

    more common and neutral in register; 'unpave' is much rarer and slightly informal

  • depave

    near-synonym used in environmental activism; same meaning, equally rare

  • tear up

    less specific — can refer to removing any surface, not just paving

Antonyms
  • pave

    direct opposite; to cover a surface with asphalt, concrete, or paving stones

  • surface

    to lay a hard surface on a road or path

Grammar Patterns

unpave + noun phrase (road, path, parking lot, driveway, alley)

be unpaved (passive)

Usage Note

Very rare word, mostly encountered in environmental or urban-planning discussions. Usually describes a deliberate, community-driven project rather than casual removal of paving.

Common Mistakes

We need to unpave the kitchen floor.
We need to remove the tiles from the kitchen floor.
'unpave' is not used for indoor flooring; it specifically refers to outdoor paved surfaces like roads, driveways, or parking lots.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Compared to the rare verb 'depave', which is used almost exclusively in environmental-activist circles, 'unpave' has a slightly broader range and can appear in both literal descriptions ('unpave the street') and figurative contexts ('unpave the way for new ideas'). The phrasal verbs 'tear up' and 'rip out' are far more common and less precise — they can describe removing carpet, tiles, or any fitted surface, not just paving. 'Remove paving' is the most neutral and widely understood alternative, but it is a two-word phrase rather than a single verb. In academic or urban-planning writing, writers typically use 'depave' or 'remove the pavement/surface' rather than 'unpave', which still carries a slightly informal or activist tone. For example, a municipal report would say 'the city removed the asphalt from the lot', while a community newsletter might say 'residents helped unpave the lot'.

depaveremove pavingtear up ↗rip out

Common collocations

Nouns

  • unpave a road
  • unpave a parking lot
  • unpave a driveway
  • unpave an alley
  • unpave a street
  • unpave a path

Adverbs

  • completely unpave
  • gradually unpave
  • partially unpave

Phrases

  • effort to unpave
  • plan to unpave
  • decide to unpave
  • volunteer to unpave
  • unpave the way for

Prepositions

  • unpave in order to ...
  • unpave with the help of ...

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed in English by adding the prefix 'un-' (meaning 'reverse of' or 'remove') to the verb 'pave' (to cover a surface with stone, concrete, or asphalt). 'Pave' itself came into English from Old French 'paver', which traces back to Latin 'pavire' (to beat, ram down, or tread hard). The verb 'unpave' is first recorded in the 17th century but remained extremely rare until the 20th century, when it was adopted by urban ecology and environmental movements.

First known use

1598

1598, in the meaning defined above