Definition

The stage of fruit or vegetables that are not yet ripe, indicating they are at their least mature state.

Example

The unripest bananas are green and hard, making them unsuitable for eating right away.

Comparatives & Superlatives

Conversation

I bought some fruits at the market today.

Nice! What did you get?

I got the unripest bananas they had, though.

Oh no, those will take a while to ripen!

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Unripest → It is formed from "un-" (meaning not) and "ripe" (from Old English "rīpe", meaning mature or ready for harvest) and "-est" (a superlative suffix indicating the highest degree). The word "unripest" means not mature or the least mature in comparison to others.

Memory Tip

Think of something that is 'not mature' ('un-') and 'ripe' means ready for harvest. The '-est' shows it's the least mature, helping you remember that 'unripest' refers to something that is not ready at all.

Visually Confused Words