Unpaired Words in English
| Word | Paired word(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Disambiguate | *Ambiguate | Not attested; derived from dis- + ambigu(ous) + -ate in the mid-20th century |
| Disconsolate | Consolate | Derived from the Latin consolatus; rarely used |
| Disgruntled | **Gruntled | Conscious jocular back-formation, circa 1938 |
| Disheveled, Dishevelled | *Sheveled, *Shevelled | Not attested; from the Old French deschevelé |
| Feckless | Feckful | Rarely used antonym |
| Gormless (from gaumless) | Gaumy | Form "gormful" does not exist; form "gaumy" is rare and highly region-specific |
| Indomitable | Domitable | Rarely used antonym |
| Ineffable | Effable | Rarely used antonym |
| Inert | *Ert | From Latin iners, meaning "without skill". |
| Intrepid | Trepid | Rarely used antonym (form trepidatious, with redundant adjective ending, is uncommon but less rare) |
| Innocent | Nocent | Not an exact antonym; rarely used |
| Innocuous | Nocuous | Rarely used antonym (almost entirely replaced by descendant noxious) |
| Ruthless | Ruthful | Rarely used antonym |
| Uncouth | **Couth | From Old English cunnan meaning "well-known" or "familiar"; rarely used |
| Ungainly | Gainly | Rarely used antonym |
| Unkempt | Kempt | Rarely used antonym (replaced by passive participle combed as comb replaced kemb; meaning of combed did not undergo homologous extension to cover grooming and hygiene generally) |
| Unruly | Ruly | Rarely used antonym |
| Unstinting | Stinting | Rarely used antonym |
| Untoward | Toward | Not an antonym (untoward evolved from figurative alterations of "toward" involving deviation from norms; toward acquired no homologous figurative meanings) |
| Unwieldy | Wieldy | Rarely used antonym |
*Words not attested or very rare in English usage.
**Jocular or facetious coinages as conscious back-formation.
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