unstressed

[ uhn-strest ]

adjective

1. without stress or emphasis, as a syllable in a word.
2. not receiving or subjected to stress, wear, etc.:

   the unstressed parts of a car body.

unstressed

/ ʌnˈstrɛst /

adjective

1. carrying relatively little stress; unemphasized
2. phonetics of, relating to, or denoting the weakest accent in a word or breath group, which in some languages, such as English or German, is also associated with a reduction in vowel quality to a centralized (i) or (a)
3. prosody (of a syllable in verse) having no stress or accent

Word History and Origins

Origin of unstressed¹

First recorded in 1880–85; un- ¹ + stress + -ed ²

Example Sentences

Initial h before unstressed vowels is only pronounced when preceded by a pause.

From Project Gutenberg

Began: notice the quality of the vowel in the first, unstressed syllable of this word.

From Project Gutenberg

You use more force for the stressed than for the unstressed vowels, that is to say, you put more breath into them.

From Project Gutenberg

The monotony of a series of stressed or of unstressed sounds would be unbearable.

From Project Gutenberg

Here the assonance is -er (final unstressed -er in standard present-day English represents vocalic r).

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• dull
• feeble
• low
• poor
• quiet
• small
• thin