Two people like each other or are in love but neither one has expressed it openly, so they each wonder about the other and consequently frustrations might begin to build... What's that called?
EDIT: March 3rd, 2012
The word I'm looking for describes love in such a fashion where two people love each other, but frustrations build because neither has acknowledged loving the other.
The most common expression is "unspoken love" (8960 written instances in Google Books). You could also call it "unacknowledged love", but some people may miscontrue that love as only "unacknowledged" by one of the two "would-be" lovers.
Depending on the context, you could call it a crush, particularly if you are talking about two adolescents.
A crush doesn't necessarily imply unbeknownst reciprocation; it's often one-way, and directed toward someone who is not in a position to share the attraction. Still, there would be nothing wrong with saying:
Dave and Jill both had a secret crush on each other.
I can't think of a noun with the inherent implication that neither is aware of the other's feelings, but I can understand your aversion to the word love, since love sometimes encompasses a devotion that goes beyond the initial stages of infatuation. Still, there are plenty of ways to convey the idea, without finding a single word for it:
Unbeknownst and unbeknown both mean "without someone's knowledge." Perhaps that's the key adjective for the feelings you're trying to capture and express?
Not a single-word but "mutual unspoken love" works well.
Skinny love: when two people love each other but are too shy to admit it but they still show it.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=skinny%20love
I am unable to recall or find a "single word" which describes an unexpressed, mutual love while making explicit the 'frustration' ensuing from that lack of expression, however, the word 'LATENT' or the phrase 'LATENT LOVE' comes awfully close, does it not?
Merriam Webster Online: LATENT: 1) la•tent adjective \ˈlā-tənt\—used to describe something (such as a disease) that exists but is not active or cannot be seen. LATENT: present and capable of emerging or developing but not now visible, obvious, active, or symptomatic — la•tent•ly adverb.
Origin of LATENT [First Known Use: 15th century] Middle English, from Latin latent-, latens, from present participle of latēre to lie hidden; akin to Greek lanthanein to escape notice.
Synonyms of LATENT latent, dormant, quiescent, potential mean not now showing signs of activity or existence. Latent applies to a power or quality that has not yet come forth but may emerge and develop . Dormant suggests the inactivity of something (as a feeling or power) as though sleeping <their passion had lain dormant>. Quiescent suggests a usually temporary cessation of activity . Potential applies to what does not yet have existence or effect but is likely soon to have .
Online Etymology Dictionary: LATENT (adj.) mid-15c., "concealed, secret," from Latin latentem (nominative latens) "lying hid, secret, unknown," present participle of latere "to lie hidden," from PIE *laidh-, from root *la- "to be hidden" (cognates: Greek lethe "forgetfulness, oblivion," Old Church Slavonic lajati "to lie in wait for"). Meaning "dormant" is from 1680s.
LATENCY(n.) 1630s, "condition of being concealed," from latent + -cy. Meaning "delay between stimulus and response" is from 1882; computer sense (latency time) is from 1954.
While you might object to this word's medical connotations, in general, and it's psychological connotations, in particular, I would argue that nothing so resembles a physical disease as the symptoms attendant upon an unrealized romantic love, which are frequently somatic. And from a purely psychological perspective, romantic love shares many of the symptoms of acute obsession, when realized or fulfilled, and sheer psychosis when unfulfilled.
'Unrequited love', is exclusive as opposed to mutual;'Platonic love' is traditionally, one-way and lacks an erotic element; 'Unconditional love', is love that doesn't ask for or expect ... anything; 'unacknowledged love', fails to make explicit the arising frustration you describe; 'mutual, unspoken love' is pretty good, but again, doesn't make the frustration explicit. I am unfamiliar with mutual 'crushes', although such is certainly conceivable; 'skinny love' seems quite close to what you're looking for but is slang (nothing wrong with slang when the situation is appropriate), which I can only assume is not satisfactory since that answer hasn't been accepted.
I hope LATENT, or 'latent love', is more acceptable then the other offerings (no disrespect is intended to the various authors of those answers as your question asks much) because I want, I need, those bounty points so badly.
I'm just now coming to the realization that I may be a latent, certainly a frustrated, bounty hunter!
It's funny that this has become such a common plot device in modern American television, and yet there isn't a single word answer for it that I can think of. I believe the phrase "sexual tension" is often used for this. This despite the fact that the relationships that finally result (not until at least season three!) are almost always more than merely sexual in nature.
You could call that love.
love is defined as A deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness.
So whether the love is acknowledge or not it's still love. If you still need a word for it you could call it unconditional love or unacknowledged love.
The word I'm looking for describes love in such a fashion...
tackles the issue of their frustrations.
The word I'm looking for describes love in such a fashion...
would create an interesting cross-implication with the common use of engagement for highly committed couples who have revealed their affection to one another. It's as if the engine is running and the transmission is ready to go, but the clutch between them is disengaged.
ADJECTIVE
Emotionally detached:
In view of their long friendship, John and Judy were oddly disengaged.
