unfold
verb
Simple meaning
To open something that was folded, or to develop over time.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
uhnfohldSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ʌnˈfəʊld
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
To open (anything covered or closed); to lay open to view or contemplation; to bring out in all the details, or by successive development.
“To unfold one's designs; to unfold the principles of a science.”
To turn out; to happen; to develop.
To undo a folding.
“To unfold a map; to unfold a tablecloth; she unpacks the new dress and unfolds it carefully.”
To release from a fold or pen.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced
- Frequency
- Uncommon
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: To open (anything covered or closed); to lay open to view or contemplation; to bring out in all the details, or by successive development.
Used this way, unfold is a common word with a clearly warm, approving pull. It quietly approves while staying precise.
“To unfold one's designs; to unfold the principles of a science.”
- Emotional tone
- Positive
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Gentle
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Successful and accomplished
- Usage feel
- Precise and approving
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
How It’s Used
The word’s distinct uses, one example each.
Openverb
“To unfold one's designs; to unfold the principles of a science.”
Undoverb
“To unfold a map; to unfold a tablecloth; she unpacks the new dress and unfolds it carefully.”
More ways to use unfold
- “A walk through town will unfold many interesting buildings.”verb
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
A developmental process.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: to open (anything covered or closed)
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What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API (CC BY-SA 3.0). Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.