好词典

unspoken

UK //ʌnˈspəʊkən//US //ʌnˈspoʊkən//

词源

源自中古英语,由前缀 un-(表否定)与 spoken(说出的)组合而成,字面意思为'未被说出的'。

adjective

❶ 指没有说出口的、心照不宣的,通常用于描述那些通过行为或氛围传达而非直接表达的情感或想法。

“There was an unspoken agreement between them to never mention that night again.”

(他们之间有种默契,绝口不提那晚的事。)

“Her unspoken fear was that she might fail the exam.”

(她没说出口的担忧是考试可能会不及格。)

同义词:tacit, implied, unstated, silent, wordless

常见短语

unspoken rule — 指群体中默认遵守但未明文规定的行为准则,通常需要通过观察或经验才能理解。

“It's an unspoken rule in our office that you don't heat fish in the microwave.”

(我们办公室有个潜规则:不能用微波炉加热鱼类。)