adjective
uneven
un-EE-vun/ʌnˈiːvn/
Not consistently level or balanced.
The uneven paving has tilted slabs beside sunken sections.
Etymology
The base covered both level surfaces and things that were equal or alike. Negating those meanings accounts for uneven ground, unequal amounts, and irregular patterns without requiring one sense to have developed from another.
In context
the front half will flow faster the back slower and we get a muddy uneven extraction
More examples
- The table wobbles because its legs are uneven.
- Her progress is uneven, with quick gains followed by long pauses.
- The uneven workload leaves some employees much busier than others.
Forms
uneven · more uneven · most uneven
unevenly adverb — Without consistent level, regularity, or balance.
unevenness noun — Lack of consistent level, regularity, or balance.
Similar words
- rough
- Emphasizes a surface's bumps or texture rather than balance.
- inconsistent
- Emphasizes changes in quality or behavior rather than physical level.
- unbalanced
- Emphasizes unequal weight, influence, or distribution between parts.