Ungrasped

Part of speech: adjective, verb

Definitions

1. Not seized or held firmly; not comprehended or understood fully; something remaining elusive or beyond the reach of mentality
2. Something left unattained by physical grip; lacking full mental apprehension; remaining out of one's cognitive or physical grasp
3. Referring to an object or concept that has not been captured or realized; lacking complete comprehension; slipping beyond tactile or intellectual hold

Etymology: "Ungrasped" is a straightforward formation: the prefix "un-", meaning "not", attached to "grasped", the past form of "grasp." Its etymology is therefore simple, and the older verb it rests on is "ungrasp," meaning to release or loosen one's hold, to which the past-tense ending "-ed" was added. In this sense the word describes something that has never been seized, or that has slipped out of reach. The adjectival sense, extended from physical holding to understanding, follows the same metaphor that gives English "grasp" its meaning of comprehension. A concept that remains "ungrasped" is one the mind has not yet got hold of, so the word moves naturally from the hand to the intellect.

Synonyms: unheld, ungripped

Antonyms: grasped, held, gripped, seized