What does unfulfilled mean?
“Unfulfilled” is an adjective meaning that something expected, desired, promised, or required has not been fully achieved or satisfied. It is used especially of hopes, dreams, ambitions, expectations, and promises, as in “an unfulfilled dream,” while also describing conditions, such as unfulfilled potential, that have not reached their full development. The word is neutral to formal in many contexts, though when applied to a person’s hopes or ambitions it can carry a more emotional tone of disappointment and frustration. “Unmet” is often the simpler, more common alternative for expectations and needs, while “unfulfilled” emphasizes a promise, possibility, or aspiration that has remained incomplete. An unfulfilled prophecy, by contrast, refers to a prediction that has not yet occurred. Overall, the word describes not merely a lack of something, but a gap between what was anticipated or promised and what has actually been achieved.
adjectiveNot fulfilled: not fully satisfied, achieved, carried out, or brought to completion. It is especially used of hopes, dreams, expectations, promises, and potential.
- Not satisfied, achieved, or realized, especially with respect to hopes, expectations, ambitions, or desires.
- Not carried out or met, especially with respect to a promise, obligation, or condition.
"She continued to pursue her unfulfilled dream of working in the theatre."
"The team's unfulfilled expectations of an early championship were evident after the second-round defeat."
"Many graduates spoke of unfulfilled potential before receiving the training they needed."
Its grammar tells the story before the dictionary does: un- plus fulfilled means simply “not fulfilled.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does unfulfilled come from?
Unfulfilled was formed in English by adding the negative prefix un- to fulfilled. Fulfilled comes from fulfill, which developed from Old English fulfyllan and is related to full and fill. The un- formation reverses the positive sense of fulfillment while retaining its idea of meeting a promise, need, expectation, or possibility.
Related word forms
How unfulfilled is actually used
The word is neutral to formal and is common in discussion, journalism, and literary contexts. When describing personal hopes or ambitions, it can carry emotional overtones of disappointment and frustration; “unmet” may be more concise when referring specifically to needs, expectations, or requirements.
Easily confused with unfulfilled
Unfilled describes something with an empty space, such as an unfilled glass, whereas unfulfilled describes a promise, expectation, or potential that has not been met or realized.