unsung

English

WOTD – 28 May 2009

Etymology

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 sung

English unsung

From un- + sung.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˌʌnˈsʌŋ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌŋ

Adjective

unsung (not comparable)

1. Which has not been lauded or appreciated.

   Synonyms: unhonored, unglorified, unreputed; see also Thesaurus:unfamous

   Antonyms: sung; see also Thesaurus:famous

   The backstage crew of the movie were the unsung heroes.

   • 1962 August, G. Freeman Allen, “Traffic control on the Great Northern Line”, in Modern Railways, page 133:

     Only when one has seen a Control Office at first-hand does one realise the vast amount of unsparing but largely unsung work that is behind the eventual publication, perhaps, of a paragraph in this journal's "Motive Power Miscellany" recording the appearance, within hours of the complete blockage of a main line, of many of its trains, passenger and freight, on routes quite foreign to them; and of effective emergency services either side of the disaster area.

   • 2019 November 23, “Network News”, in Rail, page 23:

     He said: "Every day, thousands of unsung women and men go to work to keep London moving and to make this city better, cleaner and safer for everyone. [...]"

2. Not sung.

   Synonym: omitted

   Antonym: sung

   The third hymn remained unsung.

Derived terms

• unsung hero

Translations

which has not been lauded or appreciated

• Czech: neopěvovaný
• Dutch: onbezongen
• Greek: παραγνωρισμένος (el) m (paragnorisménos)
• Italian: sconosciuto (it), non riconosciuto
• Macedonian: неопеан m (neopean)
• Russian: невоспетый (ru) (nevospetyj)

not sung

• Dutch: ongezongen
• Greek: άψαλτος (el) m (ápsaltos), ανεξύμνητος m (anexýmnitos), ατραγούδιστος (el) m (atragoúdistos)
• Macedonian: неопеан m (neopean)