unthought-of

1 7.9

No one expects it before it happens

adjective
/ʌnˈθɔt ʌv/

: no considerado

His unthought-of approach to solving the problem impressed everyone in the team.

So there's a new, brilliant, so far unthought of solution, right?

Examples

So there's a new, brilliant, so far unthought of solution, right?

TimeGhost History
Or am I going to try and find some way hitherto unthought of to bring them together without that strong tension?
The discovery of new technologies often leads to unthought-of applications in various fields.
In our meeting, she presented an unthought-of idea that could change the entire project.

Synonyms

unexpected

vsunthought-of

394 2.5

Happening without warning

adds that it was also not even imagined by someone

unheard-of

vsunthought-of

63 6.7

Very unusual because it has never happened before

refers instead to something not thought of by an individual

unseen

vsunthought-of

41 5.1

Not expected before and causing trouble or surprise

emphasizes that it had never been considered by someone before

unforeseen

vsunthought-of

34 4.7

Not expected to happen

stresses personal lack of imagining rather than general unpredictability

unanticipated

vsunthought-of

11 5.8

Happening suddenly without warning

highlights that it also had not occurred to someone before

unforeseeable

vsunthought-of

5 6.7

Impossible to know before it happens

is narrower, focusing on a person not having thought of it

undreamed

vsunthought-of

3 8.4

Not imagined or expected, even in your wildest dreams

expresses the same astonishment but focuses on surprise rather than impossibility

unimagined

vsunthought-of

3 7.0

Not thought of before or expected

says the same but with emphasis on sudden unexpectedness

unsuspected

vsunthought-of

2 5.3

Not known or expected to be there

is more about being unimaginable to someone rather than disbelief

undreamed of

vsunthought-of

2 7.5

Far greater or more surprising than people ever imagined

uses the same idea but stresses personal lack of prior thought

unpredicted

vsunthought-of

1 5.1

Happening when no one expects it

focuses more on individual failure to think of it beforehand

unlooked-for

vsunthought-of

1 8.0

Not expected and coming as a surprise

leans more toward never having occurred to someone personally

unthought

vsunthought-of

1 9.5

Not imagined or expected before

is the hyphenated alternative form used for the same sense

unheralded

vsunthought-of

1 7.4

Happening suddenly without warning

points more to individual failure to imagine it beforehand

unhoped

vsunthought-of

1 9.9

Very unexpected and better than anyone imagined

shares unexpectedness but focuses on general lack of prior consideration

unhoped-for

vsunthought-of

1 7.8

An unexpected pleasant event that brings good results

covers the same unplanned sense without the positive tone

unconceived

vsunthought-of

1 8.6

Not thought of before

centres on suddenness and personal lack of prior thought rather than creation

Antonyms

expected

654 1.2

Likely to happen or be true

considered

19 3.3

Made after careful thought

How Expected

anticipated

77 3.7

expected

654 1.2

surprising

489 1.8

unexpected

394 2.5

unthought-of

1 7.9

unimaginable

66 5.4

Surface Forms

unthought-of positive

Morphology

unthought-of = thought (transparent) = un + of + thought

The adjective is formed by prefixing 'un-' to the compound 'thought' + 'of' (i.e., 'thought-of' = considered), so the meaning is a straightforward negation of 'thought-of'. [Postprocessing: moved 'of' from base_words to prefix]

Etymology

The word unthought-of is made of the parts un- 'not', thought 'an idea', and of 'linking'. So it means 'not thought of' and describes something surprising or not imagined before.