unread

1 of 2

adjective

un·​read ˌən-ˈred 

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

2

: lacking the experience or the benefits of reading

unread in political science

unread

2 of 2

noun

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

Synonyms

Adjective

• analphabetic
• benighted
• dark
• ignorant
• illiterate
• nonliterate
• rude
• simple
• uneducated
• uninstructed
• unlearned
• unlettered
• unschooled
• untaught
• untutored

Examples 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

Adjective

Text messages are also more likely to be checked immediately because of their implicit sense of urgency, unlike emails that go unread or phone calls that are left unanswered (especially among younger people). —David MacK, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2024

The fliers that come through the mail slot accumulate but go unread. —Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2024

That might look like doing the dishes, going for a quick jog, or sorting through unread emails piling up in your inbox. —Jenna Ryu, SELF, 4 Oct. 2024

His goal: Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day, no matter how many emails are left unread. —Ashton Jackson, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1915, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

unread

adjective

un·​read ˌən-ˈred 

ˈən-

1

: not read

an unread book

2

: not well informed through reading : uneducated