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

Much, however, seemed to be deliberately left unsaid.

From BBC • Dec. 15, 2025

Yasunari Kawabata leaves much unsaid and unexplained but with swift sure lines conveys Komako’s love, anger and hopelessness along with the mountains’ beauty and danger.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

The material could easily have tilted into melodramatic TV territory, but Redford handled it with a steady, unshowy touch, letting pain seep through pauses, glances and the things left unsaid.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 16, 2025

Even that answer seemed to leave too much unsaid, Brady thought.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik