Unwanted Meaning
/ʌnˈwɒntɪd/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjNot wanted; unwelcome.
nounOne who or that is not wanted; an undesirable.
Sentence Examples
In India many girls are named "Nakusa" or "Nakushi", which in Hindi means "unwanted".
I keep receiving unwanted emails.
Even monkeys throw stones at the man unwanted at home.
CEFR Practice Quiz
She threw away the ____ gifts that she did not like at all.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Please remember to delete any ____ files from your computer to free up some space and improve its performance today.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- English wanted English unwanted From un- + wanted.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Once finances are stabilised, getting Crossrail finished is Byford's most obvious task. Late and over budget, it is causing unwanted headlines and friction between the London Mayor and the Department for Transport that both sides would rather live without."
— 2020 December 2, Andy Byford talks to Paul Clifton, “I enjoy really big challenges...”, in Rail, page 52:
"When asked why the devices were retrofitted on older models instead of newer ones, Sarno said the MTA typically uses older car models when making modifications in case there are any unwanted effects."
— 2025 March 9, Nic F. Anderson, “Tired of subway delays? The MTA wants to fix that by strapping Google smartphones to New York trains”, in CNN:
"What slaves they had bought to carry the goods of the interior back to the coast were the unwanteds of the villages — the persons convicted of crime who would normally have been killed or banished from their communities […]"
— 1963, The Nyasaland Journal, volumes 16-17, page 12:
"There were no thoughts of hydrogen bombs or CBW or contraceptives or removing unwanteds. It was the old America, the old order restored, and the President saw that it was Good."
— 1970, Triumph, volumes 5-6, page 7:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
She threw away the ____ gifts that she did not like at all.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Please remember to delete any ____ files from your computer to free up some space and improve its performance today.