unacknowledged

/ˌʌnəkˈnɒlɪdʒd/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌʌnəkˈnɑːlɪdʒd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌən-ik-ˈnä-lijd -ak-/ (ame, mw)

unacknowledged — adjective

  • unacknowledgedpositive
  • more unacknowledgedcomparative
  • most unacknowledgedsuperlative

1. actually true or present, but not willingly admitted, confirmed, or officially a

1.形容詞C1
釋義

actually true or present, but not willingly admitted, confirmed, or officially accepted by other people.

例句

Kwame's contribution to the project remained unacknowledged by the senior team.

remain + unacknowledged + by [agent]

For years, the unacknowledged tension between the two teams affected everyone's work.

attributive: unacknowledged + noun (tension)

同義詞
  • unrecognized

    can mean simply not noticed or identified; less emphasis on active denial

  • unadmitted

    stronger, implies deliberate concealment or refusal to confess

  • undisclosed

    focuses on information not made known, often by choice

  • unspoken

    suggests something understood but never said aloud

反義詞
  • acknowledged

    openly accepted, admitted, or recognized as true or existing

  • recognized

    formally or publicly accepted as valid or important

文法句型

unacknowledged + noun (attributive)

remain/go + unacknowledged (predicative)

用法筆記

Often used before nouns such as 'fact', 'truth', 'fear', 'problem', 'tension', or 'contribution' to describe something real that people avoid admitting publicly. Predicative use (e.g. 'went unacknowledged') is also common.

常見錯誤

❌The unacknowledged email sat in my inbox for days.
✅The email sat unread in my inbox for days.
💡'unacknowledged' in the message sense requires the recipient to have seen it but not replied; for something never opened, use 'unread'.

❌ 'His unacknowledged fear of heights' (correct for sense 1 — no mistake here) — but be careful: this is NOT the 'message/gift' sense.

2. (of a message, letter, gift, or friendly gesture) not responded to or confirmed

2.形容詞B2
釋義

(of a message, letter, gift, or friendly gesture) not responded to or confirmed as having arrived or been received.

例句

Faisal sent three job applications but all of them remained unacknowledged.

remain + unacknowledged (predicative, of messages)

Gita emailed the landlord about the broken heater, but her message is still unacknowledged.

still + unacknowledged (time adverbial)

同義詞
  • unanswered

    broader; can apply to questions, calls, or any communication needing a response

  • unreturned

    often used for phone calls or gestures like a smile or wave

反義詞
  • acknowledged

    confirmed as received; responded to

  • confirmed

    specifically used for deliveries, bookings, or formal receipts

文法句型

remain/go/leave + unacknowledged

unacknowledged + message/email/gift/letter

用法筆記

Applies specifically to communications and gestures where the recipient has seen or received the item but fails to inform the sender. It does not mean 'not seen' or 'not delivered' — only that no reply or confirmation was given. Frequently appears with 'message', 'email', 'letter', 'gift', 'invitation', or 'thank-you note'.

常見錯誤

❌The letter was lost in the post and remained unacknowledged.
✅The letter was lost in the post and never arrived.
💡'unacknowledged' implies the recipient received it but did not respond, not that it was lost.
❌I did not see his message, so it was unacknowledged.
✅I did not see his message, so I did not reply.
💡if you never saw it, it is not 'unacknowledged' in this sense.