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.
“While trends are improving, unanswered questions remain on the path to recapturing historical margins while consistently growing same-store sales,” wrote Zackfia, who has a Market Perform rating on the shares.
From Barron's • Jun. 17, 2026
There were a number of unanswered questions that seem to have fatally undermined the prosecution.
From BBC • Jun. 17, 2026
The text of the U.S.-Iran agreement has not yet been released, leaving many questions unanswered.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 16, 2026
A key unanswered question remains whether the loss of thrust originated during the take-off roll and continued through lift-off, or whether it developed only after the aircraft had become airborne.
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026
He had made their mother cry: an insult that could not go unanswered!
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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.
