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undreamed of

undreamed of

1 7.5
Far greater or more surprising than people ever imagined
  • idiom
  • /ʌnˈdriːmd ʌv/
translation icon : inimaginable
  • General Saxton's invitation was "a thing utterly undreamed-of," Higginson later confessed privately.
  • undreamed of before

Examples

  • Astronomers observing other stars consider this undreamed-of accuracy.

    Academic text (1991)
  • The ROVs operating in this canyon have opened up a strange world of undreamed-of fecundity.

    Academic text (1991)
  • It says we harbor an undreamed-of capacity for evil.

    Blog text (21)
  • But there were many real heroes, people who did things and went places undreamed of, and they were indeed the stuff of childhood wonder and fantasy.

  • They promise unquestionable and undreamed-of benefits to mankind.

    Academic text (2007)
  • Science has soared to dazzling, undreamed-of heights, but the world of man seems to be cast in a shadow of many shades.

    Blog text (16)
  • If, at a certain period, they seem engaged, on the contrary, in opening undreamed-of vistas before us, those belong to the realm of fundraising and publicity rather than to that of reality.

    Academic text (1997)
  • After decades of research, scientists have made undreamed of progress in renewable energy technology.

  • The artist's latest masterpiece was filled with undreamed of beauty that captivated everyone who saw it.

  • Their journey to the remote island led to undreamed of discoveries about ancient civilizations.

Synonyms

incredible
vsundreamed of
3.5

Very surprising or hard to believe

leans more toward marveling at extraordinary nature than disbelief
remarkable
vsundreamed of
588 2.8

Unusual and easy to notice because it is different or surprising

is stronger, implying utter unimaginability rather than just surprise
astounding
vsundreamed of
92 4.1

So surprising and impressive that you feel amazed

is similar but points more to things never imagined before
unimaginable
vsundreamed of
63 5.4

So strange or large that people cannot believe it

emphasizes being beyond previous mental images rather than disbelief
unheard-of
vsundreamed of
57 6.7

Very unusual because it has never happened before

adds an extra sense of being beyond what anyone could imagine
inconceivable
vsundreamed of
46 7.4

Impossible to imagine or believe

stresses remarkable extraordinariness rather than strict impossibility
astonishing
vsundreamed of
5 3.4

Very surprising and making you feel great wonder

puts more weight on being beyond prior imagination
undreamed
vsundreamed of
2 8.4

Not imagined or expected, even in your wildest dreams

is the same meaning but includes the final preposition
unimagined
vsundreamed of
2 7.0

Not thought of before or expected

is similar but feels more poetic and dramatic
unheralded
vsundreamed of
1 7.4

Happening suddenly without warning

is about being beyond any imagined possibility rather than mere lack of notice
unthought
vsundreamed of
1 9.5

Not imagined or expected before

is stronger, implying utter impossibility to imagine beforehand
unhoped
vsundreamed of
9.9

Very unexpected and better than anyone imagined

focuses more on sheer extraordinariness beyond any imagining
unhoped-for
vsundreamed of
7.8

An unexpected pleasant event that brings good results

is broader, stressing unimaginable extraordinariness rather than mere surprise
beyond wildest dreams
vsundreamed of
4.6

Much better than you could imagine or hope for

is shorter and used as a direct adjective for the same idea
unthought-of
vsundreamed of
7.9

No one expects it before it happens

is broader, stressing remarkable extraordinariness rather than simple neglect
unconceived
vsundreamed of
8.6

Not thought of before

focuses more on surprising extraordinariness than on lack of planning

Antonyms

dreamed
  • US
4.1

Wanted very much but only imagined, not real

Likely to happen soon and making people feel excited

How Imagined

extraordinary
  • Formal
859 3.8
remarkable
588 2.8
astonishing
5 3.4
undreamed of
1 7.5

Surface Forms

undreamed of positive

Morphology

undreamed + of

The meaning is directly derivable from its parts: 'undreamed' (= not dreamed/imagined) plus the preposition 'of' yields 'not imagined before' or 'unimaginable previously.' This follows a regular negation + past-participle pattern that is compositional and cross-linguistically plausible, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents should be able to infer the meaning.

Etymology

Undreamed of comes from the simple image of sleep dreams: something so new people had not even dreamed about it. So it means 'not imagined before' and shows how very surprising something is.