English Reference
Adjective

unrequited

adj.
C1 Advanced US /ˌənɹiˈkwaɪtɪd/ UK /ˌʌnɹɪkwˈaɪtɪd/ un·re·quit·ed

adj.describing a feeling or love that is not returned by the other person. You use this when you care about someone, but they do not care about you in the same way.

adj.describing a feeling, especially of love or affection, that is not returned by the object of one's attention. Often used to describe a one-sided emotional relationship.


SIMPLE

He has had an unrequited crush on her for years.

CONTEXTUAL

The novel explores the pain of unrequited love through the protagonist's failed attempts to win the heart of his neighbor.

COMPLEX

While some find solace in the quiet beauty of unrequited affection, others view it as a source of profound emotional exhaustion that prevents them from moving forward in life.

On Monday, the majority of Chelsea fans knew very little about Camara but now they yearn desperately, a love unrequited for the 22-year-old Senegalese tyro who, it says here, once played for Metz.

The Guardian· 4 Sept 2026

A charge that falls for the handsome new tutor and an assortment of ancillary characters mirroring the cross-crossing drama of suddenly flaring passions and unrequited love.

The Guardian· 3 Sept 2026

From un- + requited.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated