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unharnessed

unharnessed

1 5.6
Not wearing straps, often said about animals or machines used for pulling
  • adjective
  • /ʌnˈhɑrnəst/
: sin arnés
  • After a long day of work, the horses were left unharnessed to graze in the meadow.

Examples

  • It is safer to keep the equipment unharnessed when not in use.

  • The sled dogs waited unharnessed while their owner prepared their food.

  • The horses were unharnessed after the long journey.

  • Why are the dogs unharnessed in the yard?

  • After a long day of work, the horses were left unharnessed to graze in the meadow.

  • The sled dogs waited unharnessed while their owner prepared their food.

  • The horses were unharnessed and allowed to roam freely in the pasture.

Antonyms

239 3.4

Kept within limits by careful management

2 4.6

Put under control and used to make energy

How Harnessed

harnessed
2 4.6
unharnessed
1 5.6
unattached
2 4.2

Surface Forms

unharnessed positive

Morphology

unharnessed = harnessed (transparent) = un + harness + ed

Literally 'not harnessed' — un- negates the adjectival/past-participial 'harnessed' meaning 'not wearing or fitted with a harness'.

Etymology

Unharnessed breaks into un- 'not' and harness, the straps or gear used to attach and control an animal or machine. So, unharnessed means 'not wearing a harness' or 'not attached for pulling or control'.