1
: not read : left unexamined
an unread book
unread messages
Poe, Hawthorne, Shakespeare, Thackeray—the full panoply of English literature piled up unread, but treasured, under my bed.—
Russell Baker
Russell Baker2
: lacking the experience or the benefits of reading
unread in political science
plural unreads
: something (such as an email or text message) that has not been read
I'm also someone who hates having unread emails, and opening my inbox and seeing dozens of unreads stresses me out immensely.—Rachel Wilkerson Miller
Rachel Wilkerson MillerExamples of unread in a Sentence
Adjective
On her desk was a pile of magazines that had been left unread for months.
an officer who seemed to be completely unread in military theory
Recent Examples on the Web
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
The kind of thing that could wind up at the bottom of a development slush pile or remain unread forever.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 3 Feb. 2025
Most sit unread in crowded inboxes, or worse, get deleted without a second thought.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Adding to the disorder, Tay's phone also had thousands of unread email notifications and hundreds of unopened text messages—leaving her boyfriend once again in shock.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 13 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unread
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Adjective
After a new prime minister is elected, the old leader's letters are destroyed, unread.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
The kind of thing that could wind up at the bottom of a development slush pile or remain unread forever.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 3 Feb. 2025
Most sit unread in crowded inboxes, or worse, get deleted without a second thought.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Adding to the disorder, Tay's phone also had thousands of unread email notifications and hundreds of unopened text messages—leaving her boyfriend once again in shock.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 13 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unread
Cite this Entry
“Unread.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unread. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unread
adjective
un·read
ˌən-ˈred 
ˈən-
1
: not read
an unread book
2
: not well informed through reading : uneducated
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