desapercibido
“desapercibido” means “unnoticed” in Spanish (when someone or something isn't seen or heard).
unnoticedAlso: unperceived, unseen
📝 In Action
El error pasó desapercibido por mucho tiempo.
B1The mistake went unnoticed for a long time.
Ella intentó entrar a la reunión desapercibida.
B2She tried to enter the meeting unnoticed.
Sus comentarios no pasaron desapercibidos para el jefe.
C1His comments did not go unnoticed by the boss.
Word Connections
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Words that translate to "desapercibido" in Spanish:
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: desapercibido
Question 1 of 3
How would you say 'The women went unnoticed'?
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👥 Word Family
📚 Etymology
From the Spanish prefix 'des-' (meaning 'not') and the word 'apercibido' (which comes from 'percibir,' meaning to notice or perceive). It literally describes something that was not perceived by the senses.
First recorded: 15th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use this for objects, or only people?
Both! You can say a person went unnoticed in a crowd, or that a typo in a book went unnoticed.
Is it the same as 'invisible'?
Not exactly. 'Invisible' means it literally cannot be seen. 'Desapercibido' means it *could* be seen, but people just didn't pay attention to it.
Does it ever mean 'unprepared'?
Technically, yes, but that meaning is very old-fashioned. In modern Spanish, it almost 100% of the time means 'unnoticed'.