unheard-of

[ uhn-hurd-uhv, -ov, -uhv ]

adjective

1. that was never heard of; unknown:

   an unheard-of artist.

2. such as was never known before; unprecedented:

   an unheard-of salary.

3. shocking or outrageous:

   unheard-of conduct.

unheard-of

adjective

1. previously unknown

   an unheard-of actress

2. without precedent

   an unheard-of treatment

3. highly offensive

   unheard-of behaviour

Word History and Origins

Origin of unheard-of¹

First recorded in 1585–95

Idioms and Phrases

Very unusual, extraordinary, as in It's unheard of to have all one's money refunded two years after the purchase . This expression alludes to a circumstance so unusual that it has never been heard of. [Late 1500s]

Example Sentences

The New York Yankees emerged as the franchise most willing to pay players previously unheard-of salaries, inadvertently helping the efforts of Miller and Moss.

From Los Angeles Times

Fortunately, large-scale firestorms are almost unheard-of in the area, in part because the region’s narrow canyons and strong prevailing winds act to direct gusts — and therefore fires — in specific directions.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s unheard-of, and it’s unheard-of in a show in this way.

From New York Times

“It’s almost unheard-of to have a day-and-a-half-long grand jury proceeding. We didn’t rush through anything.”

From New York Times

But then the deceased was identified as David Ben-Avraham, a Palestinian who had made the almost unheard-of decision to convert from Islam to Judaism years earlier.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• exceptional
• inconceivable
• little-known
• unbelievable
• undiscovered
• unprecedented