unrequited
Americanadjective
-
not returned or reciprocated.
unrequited love.
-
not avenged or retaliated.
an unrequited wrong.
-
not repaid or satisfied.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of unrequited
Explanation
Unrequited is used almost exclusively in the context of romantic love. If you love someone and they don't love you back––that, my friend, is a case of unrequited love. Unrequited love is so painful, most people feel they are the first person in history to experience it, but the word unrequited has in fact been around since the 1520s, when it was invented, like many good words, to talk about money. It derived from re- 'back' + the Middle English quite 'pay up.'
Vocabulary lists containing unrequited
Dissed List: Breakup Words for Valentine's Day
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100 Words to Make You Sound Smart
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Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address (1865)
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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.
Eyes tear up when unrequited love leads to isolation or forbidden love leads to death.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
The blossoming love affair between American fans and global soccer has not gone unrequited.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
If you feel feelings and it’s unrequited, it feels like an attack on you or makes you feel unwanted.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 25, 2025
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
That and the fact that my extreme like for her is clearly unrequited.
From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon
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.
