untried

The word "untried" describes something that has not yet been tested, used, or proven. It carries a sense of novelty and possibility, but also some risk because the result is still unknown. It means more than simply "new." It suggests that there is not yet enough experience or proof to know whether something will succeed.

You might hear about an untried technology: a new invention that has not been used enough to show whether it is reliable. You might also hear about an untried policy, meaning a plan or approach that has not been used before, so its effects are uncertain.

"Untried" is not limited to things; it can also describe people. An untried actor is someone who has not had important roles yet, and an untried leader is someone who has not yet been tested in a position of authority. In this sense, the word suggests inexperience, but it can also leave room for promise and growth.

The opposite of "untried" is not necessarily "failed." A closer opposite is "tried and true," which describes something tested many times and shown to be reliable. So when you encounter the word "untried," think of something standing at the beginning: full of possibility, but not yet proven. It is a word for the unknown, where hope and uncertainty exist side by side.