Unfocused: meaning, definitions and examples

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unfocused

 

[ ʌnˈfoʊkəst ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

lack of attention

Not giving full attention to a task or situation; distracted or inattentive.

Synonyms

distant, distracted, inattentive.

Examples of usage

  • He seemed unfocused during the meeting, constantly checking his phone.
  • Her unfocused gaze indicated that her mind was elsewhere.
  • The unfocused student struggled to concentrate on his homework.
Context #2 | Adjective

lacking clarity

Not clearly defined or expressed; lacking precision or focus.

Synonyms

ambiguous, blurry, vague.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
unfocused

Describes an image that lacks sharpness or clarity and is mainly used in photography or similar visual contexts.

  • The picture came out unfocused; we'll need to retake it.
  • The camera's lens wasn’t properly adjusted, resulting in an unfocused image.
blurry

Usually refers to vision or an image that is not clear, often used in medical or photographic contexts.

  • Her vision became blurry after staring at the screen for too long.
  • The photo was blurry, and they couldn't identify the person in it.
vague

Often describes communication that is not specific or detailed, which can cause confusion.

  • His instructions were too vague, so the team didn't know what to do.
  • She gave a vague description of the man, making it difficult for the police to track him down.
ambiguous

Describes something that can be understood in more than one way and is often used in official documents or academic contexts.

  • The statement was ambiguous and led to different interpretations.
  • Her response to the question was ambiguous, leaving everyone confused about her stance.

Examples of usage

  • The unfocused image was blurry and difficult to make out.
  • Her unfocused speech left the audience confused about her main points.

Translations

Translations of the word "unfocused" in other languages:

🇵🇹 sem foco

🇮🇳 ध्यान केंद्रित नहीं

🇩🇪 unscharf

🇮🇩 tidak fokus

🇺🇦 нефокусований

🇵🇱 nieostry

🇯🇵 ピントが合っていない

🇫🇷 flou

🇪🇸 desenfocado

🇹🇷 odaklanmamış

🇰🇷 초점이 맞지 않는

🇸🇦 غير مركز

🇨🇿 nezaostřený

🇸🇰 nezaostrený

🇨🇳 未聚焦

🇸🇮 neizostren

🇮🇸 óskýr

🇰🇿 фокусталмаған

🇬🇪 დაუფოკუსებელი

🇦🇿 fokuslanmamış

🇲🇽 desenfocado

Etymology

The word 'unfocused' originated from the prefix 'un-' meaning 'not' and the word 'focused', which comes from the Latin 'focus' meaning 'hearth' or 'fire'. The concept of focus has been associated with clarity and attention for centuries, and 'unfocused' emerged as the opposite, describing a lack of clarity or attention.

See also: focus, focused, focusing, focussed, unfocusedness.

Word Frequency Rank

At rank #28,457, this word represents specialized academic or technical vocabulary. It's less frequently encountered but may be valuable in specific contexts.