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desapercibido

dehs-ah-pehr-see-bee-dohdesapeɾsiˈβiðo

“desapercibido” means “unnoticed” in Spanish (when someone or something isn't seen or heard).

unnoticed

Also: unperceived, unseen
A small grey mouse blending into the shadows of a colorful room, unnoticed by a cat looking the other way.

📝 In Action

El error pasó desapercibido por mucho tiempo.

B1

The mistake went unnoticed for a long time.

Ella intentó entrar a la reunión desapercibida.

B2

She tried to enter the meeting unnoticed.

Sus comentarios no pasaron desapercibidos para el jefe.

C1

His comments did not go unnoticed by the boss.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • inadvertido (unnoticed)
  • ignorado (ignored)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • pasar desapercibido – to go unnoticed
  • totalmente desapercibido – totally unnoticed

Idioms & Expressions

  • pasar desapercibido – To fly under the radar or not be noticed by others.

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "desapercibido" in Spanish:

unnoticed→unperceived→unseen→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: desapercibido

Question 1 of 3

How would you say 'The women went unnoticed'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
percibir(to perceive/notice) — Verb
percepción(perception) — Noun
imperceptible(unnoticeable) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 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)

French: inaperçuItalian: inosservato

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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'.