unrequited

American

[uhn-ri-kwahy-tid] / ˌʌn rɪˈkwaɪ tɪd /

adjective

not returned or reciprocated.

unrequited love.
not avenged or retaliated.

an unrequited wrong.
not repaid or satisfied.

unrequited British

/ ˌʌnrɪˈkwaɪtɪd /

adjective

(of love, affection, etc) not reciprocated or returned

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of unrequited

First recorded in 1535–45; un- ¹ + requite + -ed ²

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.'

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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.

This is something far more daffy and useless: The brouhaha over unrequited affections between Seattle Mariners at the World Baseball Classic.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

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

The unrequited love routine is a bit embarrassing and, for whoever they eventually manage to get in the head coach's chair, possibly a touch unsettling.

From BBC • Oct. 12, 2025

I half-expected a frame-for-frame modern retelling of the story of two unrequited lovers, set against the backdrop of Mexico’s Revolutionary War.

From Salon • Jan. 28, 2025

For a long time we went everywhere together, but aside from that, my love was unrequited until Peter crossed my path.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023