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.
The text of the U.S.-Iran agreement has not yet been released, leaving many questions unanswered.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 16, 2026
Like so many families caught up in the scandal the couple have many unanswered questions.
From BBC • Jun. 16, 2026
As the investigation enters its second year, several key questions remain unanswered.
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026
As for whether a new deal would effectively amount to a return to the original 2015 agreement that president Barack Obama negotiated and Trump tore up during his first term, that question remains unanswered.
From Barron's • Jun. 15, 2026
This work left the main question unanswered: why would mercury rise only 30 inches and water only 33 feet?
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
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.
