Showing results for "unsaid"

• past tense form of unsay.
• past participle of unsay.

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; see 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

See Examples For:

unsaid

And with that veil ripped off, every emotion they didn’t let themselves feel, every word left unsaid, every last regret, all become instantly magnified, sprawling out before them on an endless road.

From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026

Left unsaid was whether Tehran is prepared to permanently drop its demand that it should be able to collect tolls from transiting commercial vessels and if those negotiations would lead to a fully reopened waterway.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

Or is that a conversation better left unsaid?

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

John F. Kennedy was a sailor and "the second most good-looking president," Trump said, leaving unsaid who is the first.

From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026

There are so many explanations I can leave unsaid.

From "Every Day" by David Levithan