Unkemptly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. Marked by a disheveled or untidy appearance in grooming or attire
2. Indicating a state of being carelessly arranged or disordered visually
3. In a manner that shows lack of neatness or careful grooming

Etymology: "Unkemptly" is a straightforward formation: the adverb of "unkempt" with the suffix "-ly" added to turn it into an adverb of manner. Its base, "unkempt," itself comes from "un-" (a negating prefix meaning "not") and "kempt," the past participle of the Old English verb "cemban," meaning to comb. So "unkempt" literally means "not combed," and that is still the sense that lies behind the word's visual meaning of hair, clothes, or a room left in disarray. "Unkemptly" therefore describes doing something in an uncombed, untidy manner, as when a room is left "unkemptly" arranged. The word follows the same pattern as many adjectives in English that take "-ly" to form adverbs, so it adds little new beyond the base word's sense.

Synonyms: disheveled, messily

Antonyms: neatly, tidily