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• unheard-of
  unheard-of

  adjective

  that was never heard of; unknown.
• unheard of
  unheard of

  Very unusual, extraordinary, as in It's unheard of to have all one's money refunded two years after the purchase. This expression alludes to a circumstance so unusual that it has never been heard of. [Late 1500s]

unheard-of

American  

[uhn-hurd-uhv, -ov, -uhv] / ʌnˈhɜrdˌʌv, -ˌɒv, -əv /

adjective

1. that was never heard of; unknown.

   an unheard-of artist.

2. such as was never known before; unprecedented.

   an unheard-of salary.

3. shocking or outrageous.

   unheard-of conduct.

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unheard-of British  

adjective

1. previously unknown

   an unheard-of actress

2. without precedent

   an unheard-of treatment

3. highly offensive

   unheard-of behaviour

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unheard of Idioms  

1. Very unusual, extraordinary, as in It's unheard of to have all one's money refunded two years after the purchase. This expression alludes to a circumstance so unusual that it has never been heard of. [Late 1500s]

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Etymology

Origin of unheard-of

First recorded in 1585–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

unheard-of unheard of

Stephen Miran, the April vote was 8-4, an almost unheard-of level of disagreement on the consensus-driven FOMC.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026

On Wednesday, Five Below reported nearly 23% same-store sales growth, an unheard-of number for a retailer that is now 23 years old.

From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026

Perhaps one of Parling's greatest achievements, though, has been to bring largely unheard-of players to the fore.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

"That's an unheard-of pace of innovation in developing complex structural alloys."

From Science Daily ● Mar. 10, 2026

So, to have her own bed, in her own room, was an unheard-of luxury.

From "The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling" by Maryrose Wood

“Sam, the strength you had for those nine months that the hospital misdiagnosed you is unheard of and so strong-hearted of you. You definitely were a fighter,” Stewart said Thursday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

Schroden said he had seen "reports of similar events occasionally over the past couple of decades" and that "it's rare but not unheard of, though tragic in every case."

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

That's a remarkable step - pretty much unheard of in terms of mid-season upgrades.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

"We also combined our legal Christian service with Jewish prayers and tradition, like breaking the glass. Totally unheard of then and ever since," she said, adding the nuptials even made the paper.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

Displays of temper were almost unheard of; no utterances of profanity are recorded in the extensive recollections of his students and colleagues.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• exceptional
• inconceivable
• little-known
• unbelievable
• undiscovered
• unprecedented