unrequited

adjective

un·​re·​quit·​ed ˌən-ri-ˈkwī-təd 

: not requited : not reciprocated or returned in kind

unrequited love

Examples of unrequited in a Sentence

a song about unrequited love

Recent Examples on the Web

Rabin’s lyrics had been standard unrequited-love fare; Anderson rewrote them about a deeper spiritual loneliness and the drive to overcome it, and delivered them in his usual manner, the lightness of his tone somehow amplifying the thundering force of his conviction. —Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 9 May 2026

This time playing an underling rather than a boss, Hoskins gave one of the best performances of his career in what remains a high point for Jordan as well, a lyrical and poignant yet savage film noir filled with regret, rage, and unrequited love. —Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 20 Apr. 2026

One trope that Aster doesn't like is unrequited love, in which one character's love for another goes unreciprocated. —Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026

Marquez’s saga joins Dickens’ Great Expectations and Calvino’s The Baron in the Trees, books in which unrequited love stretches the width of the narrative. —Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1556, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unrequited

• copyrighted
• expedited
• extradited
• reunited
• uninvited
• affrighted
• alighted
• benighted
• delighted
• excited
• farsighted
• highlighted