unrequited

American

[uhn-ri-kwahy-tid] / ˌʌn rɪˈkwaɪ tɪd /

adjective

not returned or reciprocated.

unrequited love.
not avenged or retaliated.

an unrequited wrong.
not repaid or satisfied.

unrequited British

/ ˌʌnrɪˈkwaɪtɪd /

adjective

(of love, affection, etc) not reciprocated or returned

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of unrequited

First recorded in 1535–45; un- ¹ + requite + -ed ²

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.

This is something far more daffy and useless: The brouhaha over unrequited affections between Seattle Mariners at the World Baseball Classic.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

It’s a treat to watch the magnetic Groff trace an unlikable guy to his idealistic origins, Radcliffe’s face soften from judgmental colleague to wide-eyed hopeful and the wonderful Mendez peel back layers of unrequited love.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 5, 2025

Avril Lavigne lends her soaring vocals to the unrequited love song “You Broke Me Too.”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 13, 2025

It's used to heart-wrenching effect on their debut album, singing of the physical ache of unrequited love, over delicately strummed guitars and brushed drums.

From BBC • Sep. 10, 2025

When sixteen-year-old me, who'd suffered from chronic bouts of unrequited love, looked at them, all I could wonder was, Will I ever be this happy?

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023