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 MillerSynonyms
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
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
See all Example Sentences for unread 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
See all Example Sentences for unread
Dictionary Entries Near unread
Cite this Entry
“Unread.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unread. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unread
adjective
un·read
ˌən-ˈred 
ˈən-
1
: not read
an unread book
2
: not well informed through reading : uneducated
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share