unsaid

¹ American  

[uhn-sed] / ʌnˈsɛd /

verb

1. simple past tense and past participle of unsay.

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unsaid ² American  

[uhn-sed] / ʌnˈsɛd /

adjective

1. not said; thought but not mentioned or discussed; unstated.

   It was best left unsaid.

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unsaid British  

/ ʌnˈsɛd /

adjective

1. not said or expressed; unspoken

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Etymology

Origin of unsaid

before 1000; Middle English unsa ( i ) d, Old English unsǣd; un- ¹, said ¹

Explanation

If something hasn't been spoken out loud, it's unsaid. Even when something is unsaid, its meaning is sometimes understood anyway. It's more common to use the adjective unspoken when you're talking about something that's implied indirectly but not articulated in words, but you can use unsaid this way too. In print, you're most likely to see it in its role as the past tense of unsay: "Once you've said something mean, it can't be unsaid."

Example Sentences

In contrast to the fast-paced dramas audiences may be more familiar with, Babies lingers in the quiet - the pauses, the unfinished conversations and the things left unsaid between its characters.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

With its bicycle rides, family meals and general aura of awakening, “Miroirs No. 3” unfolds with cautious hope, if only because we know a reckoning is coming and what’s unsaid will have to be addressed.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

They talk about all of the things that have been left unsaid, buried by their never-ending battle of wits.

From Salon • Mar. 1, 2026

Much, however, seemed to be deliberately left unsaid.

From BBC • Dec. 15, 2025

There was so much left unsaid in her story, that we saw playing in her eyes, as she spoke only part of it.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri