unrequited
/ˌʌn.ɹɪˈkwaɪ.tɪd/
unrequited · adj — not returned; not reciprocated; not repaid. It carries an Arena rating of 1582, earned across 4 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, unrequited ranks #783 of 17,150 for Most Elegant Words, #1,525 of 17,150 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #3,504 of 17,171 for Scariest Words, #4,578 of 17,128 for Most Storied Words.
unrequited is pronounced /ˌʌn.ɹɪˈkwaɪ.tɪd/.
Why “unrequited” is a great word
Not returned, reciprocated, or repaid, especially in the context of feelings or actions. Formed within English from the prefix un- (meaning "not"), the verb requite (from re- "back" + Middle English quite "to pay"), and the suffix -ed; first attested in the 1540s, notably in the poetry of Thomas Wyatt. Unlike "unreciprocated," a neutral ledger entry of imbalance, or "platonic," a bond content in its own sphere, "unrequited" is a ledger written in the heart, heavy with romantic longing. It is the held breath after a confession, the letters saved but never answered, the silent performance of a play for an empty theater—the quiet arithmetic of a debt that will forever remain on the books.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
From un- + requited.
adj
- Not returned; not reciprocated; not repaid.e.g.“His expressions of love went unrequited.”
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
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