unexpressed

IPA/ˌʌnɪkˈsprest/
IPA/ˌʌnɪkˈsprest/

unexpressed — adjective

  • unexpressedpositive
  • more unexpressedcomparative
  • most unexpressedsuperlative

1. felt or thought but kept from being shown or said openly

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

felt or thought but kept from being shown or said openly

Example

Salma hid her unexpressed anger during the family photo.

unexpressed anger before noun

Benjamin carried an unexpressed worry while the doctor read the test results.

unexpressed worry in a concrete situation

Common collocations
  • unexpressed anger
  • unexpressed fear
  • unexpressed regret
  • unexpressed concern
  • unexpressed wish
Synonyms
  • unspoken

    common for feelings or rules that are not said aloud

  • concealed

    focuses more on something being deliberately hidden

  • suppressed

    stronger and suggests active effort to hold a feeling back

Antonyms
  • expressed

    made known in words, facial expression, or action

  • stated

    made clear directly in words

  • open

    used for feelings shown honestly rather than kept inside

Grammar Patterns

unexpressed + feeling/thought

remain/stay + unexpressed

an unexpressed fear/regret/wish

Usage Note

Usually describes feelings, thoughts, wishes, or regret that stay inside a person. After linking verbs such as 'remain' or 'stay', it often emphasizes that the feeling was neither spoken aloud nor shown clearly.

Common Mistakes

Ayesha was unexpressed during the meeting.
Ayesha was quiet during the meeting.
'unexpressed' describes feelings or thoughts that stay inside, not a person who is not talking.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Unexpressed' is useful when a feeling, thought, or wish stays inside and does not come out in words or visible action. 'Unspoken' is close, but it often stresses that nothing was actually said aloud, and it also works for rules or agreements. 'Concealed' points more strongly to deliberate hiding, often from other people's eyes. 'Suppressed' is stronger still: it suggests conscious effort to push a feeling down or stop it from appearing. You might describe unexpressed regret after an argument, an unspoken rule at work, concealed anger behind a polite smile, or suppressed laughter during a serious meeting.

unexpressed ↗unspoken ↗concealed ↗suppressed ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • remain unexpressed
  • stay unexpressed
  • leave something unexpressed

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Built in English from the negative prefix 'un-' and 'expressed,' the past participle of 'express.' 'Express' came into English through French from Latin 'exprimere,' literally 'to press out.' That image helps explain the modern meaning of 'unexpressed': a thought or feeling that stays inside instead of being pressed out into words or actions.

First known use

1561

1561, in the meaning defined above