unturned

Imagine a stone in a garden. If it's unturned, no one has lifted it to see what is underneath. The word describes something that has not been turned over, checked, or disturbed. Very often, it appears in the phrase "leave no stone unturned," which means to look everywhere and examine every possibility. It can also keep its simple, physical sense, like a page that has not been turned yet or soil that has not been worked.

The word "unturned" usually describes something that has not been turned over, moved, or examined. In its most literal sense, it can refer to a physical object that stays in its original position, such as a card still face down, a page not yet turned, or soil that has not been dug up.

It is also very common in the idiom "leave no stone unturned." In that expression, the idea is not just about an actual stone. It means to search carefully, check every place, and consider every possible option. If a detective, researcher, or parent leaves no stone unturned, they are being thorough and making sure nothing is missed.

Because of that idiom, the word can carry a feeling of something not yet looked into. Still, its core meaning stays simple: something remains unflipped, undisturbed, or unchecked. An unturned page waits to be read. An unturned patch of earth waits for a gardener. An unturned stone has not been lifted to reveal what is below.

So when you see "unturned," think first of something left as it is, and then, in many contexts, of something not yet examined. That balance between the literal and figurative sense is what gives the word its quiet strength.