unanswered
Britishadjective
Explanation
If something is unanswered, it gets no response, even when one is asked for or expected. So that unanswered text message? It hasn't gotten a reply. An unanswered phone call isn't answered but instead just rings and rings endlessly. An unanswered question hovers there without a response, like when your dad asks, "Who's responsible for this mess?" and none of your siblings says a thing. If you write dozens of letters to your favorite Hollywood star but don't get a reply, those are (sadly) unanswered too.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Hood County Commissioner Dave Eagle said there are “too many unanswered questions” about data centers, and they’re being asked to greenlight plans with incomplete information about their impact on the community.
From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026
For Ian and his family there are a lot of unanswered questions.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
While that study explained the misleading measurements, one major question remained unanswered: What was driving those atmospheric winds?
From Science Daily • May 29, 2026
But the Supreme Court left that question unanswered, and prosecutors doubted they could secure murder convictions against Law, Currie said, stressing he will still be given a significant sentence.
From Barron's • May 29, 2026
Or our one-on-one chain, featuring a wall of unanswered texts from me?
From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
