unripe

IPA/ˌʌnˈraɪp/
IPA/ˌʌnˈraɪp/

unripe — adjective

  • unripepositive
  • more unripecomparative
  • most unripesuperlative

1. Used for fruit, vegetables, or grain that still needs more time before people ca

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

Used for fruit, vegetables, or grain that still needs more time before people can pick it or eat it.

Example

Theo sliced the unripe peach and frowned at its hard white flesh.

attributive: unripe + fruit noun

Min left the mangoes by the window because they were still unripe.

predicative: be still unripe

Common collocations
  • unripe fruit
  • unripe peach
  • unripe tomatoes
  • still unripe
Synonyms
  • green

    Common for fruit that is still hard or sour.

  • underripe

    More exact and slightly more formal than 'unripe'.

Antonyms
  • ripe

    Direct opposite; ready to eat or pick.

  • overripe

    Past the best stage; already too soft or old.

Grammar Patterns

unripe + fruit/crop noun

be + unripe

Usage Note

Most often describes fruit and crops. It usually suggests the food is still hard, sour, or not ready to harvest.

Common Mistakes

The bananas are unripe because they turned brown and soft.
The bananas are overripe because they turned brown and soft.
'Unripe' means too early, not too late.

2. Not in a condition to begin or handle something because the needed work, time, o

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

Not in a condition to begin or handle something because the needed work, time, or practice is still missing.

Example

The proposal was still unripe, so the board delayed the vote.

predicative: be still unripe

Rohan felt unripe for the interview after only one night of practice.

be + unripe + for + event

Common collocations
  • still unripe
  • proposal is unripe
  • unripe for the interview
  • unripe for debate
Synonyms
  • unprepared

    Most direct word for a person or group that is not ready.

  • unfinished

    Focuses on work that is incomplete rather than on readiness.

Antonyms
  • ready

    General opposite for people, plans, and events.

  • prepared

    Slightly more formal; stresses prior planning or practice.

Grammar Patterns

be + unripe

be + unripe + for + noun

Usage Note

This figurative sense is less common than the food sense and often appears in formal writing about plans, work, or readiness for an event.

Word family

  • ripe
    adjectiveA2
  • ripen
    verbB1
  • overripe
    adjectiveB2
  • ripeness
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Unripe' is the usual word when fruit or crops are still too early to eat or pick. 'Green' often overlaps with it for fruit, especially when the fruit is still hard or sour, but 'green' can also describe a person's lack of experience. 'Underripe' is more exact and slightly more formal, often used when a writer wants to sound technical about food quality. 'Immature' usually describes people, behaviour, or ideas rather than food, though it can appear in scientific writing. For example, you might call a peach unripe, a banana green, fruit picked too early underripe, and a student's reaction immature.

unripe ↗green ↗underripeimmature ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Phrases

  • be unripe

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

'Unripe' combines the negative prefix 'un-' with 'ripe'. The second part comes from Old English 'ripe', a word used for things that were ready for harvest or fully grown. The later figurative sense follows the same picture: if fruit is not ready to pick, a plan or person can also be described as not yet ready.

First known use

13th century

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1