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

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

From Science Daily • Mar. 10, 2026

The audience at Davos took up the call, offering Mr. Carney an almost unheard-of standing ovation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

His thesis at the Navy Academy was in the unheard-of topic of liquid-fuel engines.

From BBC • Aug. 9, 2025

And it has highlighted the challenges of preparing for unheard-of weather events, like a hurricane in the mountains.

From Slate • Nov. 2, 2024

For a month, unheard-of temperatures had been searing the West and Midwest.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

Related Words

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