unheard
- 01 B1 Intermediate
describes a sound that no one hears or notices.
not perceived by the sense of hearing; physically silent or occurring without an audience.
Simple“The small bell made a tiny sound that went unheard in the noisy street.”
In context“The subtle clicking of the mechanism went unheard amidst the industrial roar of the factory floor.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
describes when people do not listen to your ideas, advice, or complaints.
ignored or disregarded by those in a position to listen or act.
Simple“The students felt that their complaints about the food went unheard by the school.”
In context“Despite numerous warnings from the engineering team, their concerns remained unheard until the system finally failed.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
describes something so new or extreme that it has never happened before.
unprecedented or unknown in previous experience; often used in the phrase 'unheard of'.
Simple“In the past, it was unheard of for a woman to work as a doctor.”
In context“The level of public interest in the local election was previously unheard of in this quiet rural district.”
UsageFrequently appears in the fixed phrase 'unheard of' to describe something shocking or socially unacceptable.
Synonyms
“While it is rare, it is not unheard of.”
“But then the Harpo recording got mixed in with his father’s tapes, forgotten and unheard.”
From Middle English unherd, unherde, from Old English unġehīered (“unheard”), equivalent to un- + heard. Cognate with West Frisian ûnheard (“unheard”), Dutch ongehoord (“unheard”), German ungehört (“unheard”).
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.