English vocabulary · C1
Unmoor
/ʌnˈmʊr/ · v.
It means to lose your anchor — to feel lost and without direction, like nothing is holding you in place.
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Example sentences
- Losing his job left him completely unmoored.
- She felt unmoored after moving to a new city alone.
Word origin and roots
- un — not
- moor — tie in place
Synonyms and nuances
- LOST — not knowing where to go (No direction at all)
- ADRIFT — moving without direction (Floating with no control)
- UNSETTLED — not calm or stable (Uneasy and unstable)
Words with the same root
moor — tie in place
- moor — tie a boat in place
Lesson notes
Unmoor. It means to lose your anchor — to feel lost and without direction, like nothing is holding you in place.
Similar words are lost, adrift, and unsettled. Use unmoor when someone loses all sense of direction or stability.
Losing his job left him completely unmoored. She felt unmoored after moving to a new city alone.
un- means not. Moor- means tie a boat in place. Not tied down, drifting with no anchor — that is unmoor.