undone

/ʌnˈdʌn/ (bre, ipa) · [əndˈʌn] /ʌnˈdʌn/ (ame, ipa) · [əndˈʌn] /ˌən-ˈdən How to pronounce undone (audio)/ (ame, mw)

undone — 形容詞

  • undonepositive
  • more undonecomparative
  • most undonesuperlative

1. no longer tied, buttoned, or closed, so that something is loose or open

1.形容詞B1
釋義

解開的

原本繫好或扣好的東西被打開

no longer tied, buttoned, or closed, so that something is loose or open

例句

Bao bent down and noticed that his shoelace had come undone during the morning run.

Bao 彎腰時發現鞋帶在晨跑途中鬆開了。

come undone (collocation for fastenings)

Yael tried to redo the button that came undone on her coat before the interview.

Yael 在面試前忙著把外套上鬆開的釦子重新扣好。

同義詞
  • loose

    less specific — loose can describe anything not tight, not just fastenings

  • unfastened

    more formal and general; used for any type of closure

反義詞

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

❌His shoelace was untied.
✅His shoelace had come undone.
💡Untied only applies to laces you tie yourself; undone covers all types of fastenings including buttons, zippers, and buckles.

2. completely destroyed or defeated by a severe misfortune, with no realistic chanc

2.形容詞B2
釋義

毀滅的

遭受重大打擊而無法挽回

completely destroyed or defeated by a severe misfortune, with no realistic chance of recovery

例句

After the business collapsed, Sirin felt completely undone and lost all hope for the future.

事業倒閉後，Sirin 感到徹底毀了，對未來不再抱任何希望。

completely undone (intensifier + figurative sense)

The fragile peace treaty was undone by a single act of violence along the disputed border.

一份脆弱的和平條約因為邊界上的一次暴力事件而化為烏有。

同義詞
  • ruined

    more common in everyday speech; less dramatic

  • destroyed

    more physical; can refer to both literal and figurative destruction

  • doomed

    suggests an inevitable fate rather than a completed outcome

反義詞

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

❌I felt undone when I failed the driving test.
✅I felt disappointed when I failed the driving test.
💡Undone in this sense implies a devastating, life-altering loss, not a routine setback.

3. not yet started, completed, or taken care of

3.形容詞B1
釋義

未完成的

尚未做完或處理好的

not yet started, completed, or taken care of

例句

Mateo left his homework undone and rushed out to catch the school bus on time.

Mateo 作業沒寫完就匆匆衝出門趕校車了。

leave + noun + undone (common pattern for unfinished tasks)

The kitchen renovation remained undone for nearly six months after the contractor quit.

廚房翻修工程因為承包商不做了，擱置了將近半年。

同義詞
  • 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

反義詞

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.

常見錯誤

❌The work is still undo.
✅The work is still undone.
💡The past participle of undo is undone, not 'undo.' As an adjective, it stays the same form.