unasked

American  

[uhn-askt, -ahskt] / ʌnˈæskt, -ˈɑskt /

adjective

1. not asked.

   an unasked question.

2. not asked for.

   unasked advice.

   Synonyms:

   unsolicited

3. uninvited.

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unasked British  

/ ʌnˈɑːskt /

adjective

1. not requested or demanded

2. not invited

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Etymology

Origin of unasked

Middle English word dating back to 1225–75; see origin at un- ¹, ask, -ed ²

Explanation

Unasked is a word that can either describe something that you didn't ask for (and possibly didn't want), or a question that is not spoken out loud. When you haven't requested something but get it anyway, it's unasked for, like the unasked for cold you woke up with on your birthday, or the unasked for advice your sister is always giving you. An unasked question is usually one that is implied: "I answered her unasked question by sadly shaking my head." In the 13th century, this adjective instead meant "uninvited."

Example Sentences

For the AI industry, a key design question has gone largely unasked: Is the product building human capacity or consuming it?

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

However, I’d like to offer some free, unasked for advice to rectify the horrible treatment that Ambar Roman received after catching Shohei Ohtani’s first Dodgers home run, as described by Bill Plaschke.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2024

Mother, it seems, has been freelancing on her son’s behalf – unasked – by poking a few of her D.C. connections to smooth Paul’s acquisition of UBA.

From Salon • Oct. 21, 2023

“And that unasked request, if you answer it, can be very dangerous. It can be at best confusing and at worst dangerous.”

From New York Times • May 13, 2022

The man, who had received two or three nice presents from her unasked, thought she was lying and was trying to tell him to shove off.

From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison