diff --git a/lib/rules/no-unused-vars.js b/lib/rules/no-unused-vars.js
index 3ed278d54dcd..2b1dc3b098ce 100644
--- a/lib/rules/no-unused-vars.js
+++ b/lib/rules/no-unused-vars.js
@@ -63,9 +63,6 @@ module.exports = {
 
     create(context) {
         const sourceCode = context.getSourceCode();
-
-        const DEFINED_MESSAGE = "'{{name}}' is defined but never used.";
-        const ASSIGNED_MESSAGE = "'{{name}}' is assigned a value but never used.";
         const REST_PROPERTY_TYPE = /^(?:Experimental)?RestProperty$/;
 
         const config = {
@@ -100,6 +97,38 @@ module.exports = {
             }
         }
 
+        function getDefinedMessage(unusedVar) {
+            let type;
+            let pattern;
+
+            if (config.varsIgnorePattern) {
+                type = 'vars';
+                pattern = config.varsIgnorePattern.toString();
+            }
+
+            if (unusedVar.defs && unusedVar.defs[0] && unusedVar.defs[0].type) {
+                const defType = unusedVar.defs[0].type;
+
+                if (defType === 'CatchClause' && config.caughtErrorsIgnorePattern) {
+                    type = 'args';
+                    pattern = config.caughtErrorsIgnorePattern.toString();
+                } else if (defType === 'Parameter' && config.argsIgnorePattern) {
+                    type = 'args';
+                    pattern = config.argsIgnorePattern.toString();
+                }
+            }
+
+            const additional = type ? ` Allowed unused ${type} must match ${pattern}.` : '';
+
+            return `'{{name}}' is defined but never used.${additional}`;
+        }
+
+        function getAssignedMessage(unusedVar) {
+            const additional = config.varsIgnorePattern ? ` Allowed unused vars must match ${config.varsIgnorePattern.toString()}.` : '';
+
+            return `'{{name}}' is assigned a value but never used.${additional}`;
+        }
+
         //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
         // Helpers
         //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -586,13 +615,15 @@ module.exports = {
                         context.report({
                             node: programNode,
                             loc: getLocation(unusedVar),
-                            message: DEFINED_MESSAGE,
+                            message: getDefinedMessage(unusedVar),
                             data: unusedVar
                         });
                     } else if (unusedVar.defs.length > 0) {
                         context.report({
                             node: unusedVar.identifiers[0],
-                            message: unusedVar.references.some(ref => ref.isWrite()) ? ASSIGNED_MESSAGE : DEFINED_MESSAGE,
+                            message: unusedVar.references.some(ref => ref.isWrite())
+                                ? getAssignedMessage(unusedVar)
+                                : getDefinedMessage(unusedVar),
                             data: unusedVar
                         });
                     }
diff --git a/tests/lib/rules/no-unused-vars.js b/tests/lib/rules/no-unused-vars.js
index 4e2849fe165c..b7ccc38446fa 100644
--- a/tests/lib/rules/no-unused-vars.js
+++ b/tests/lib/rules/no-unused-vars.js
@@ -326,11 +326,37 @@ ruleTester.run("no-unused-vars", rule, {
         { code: "/*exported x*/ var { x, y } = z", parserOptions: { ecmaVersion: 6 }, errors: [assignedError("y")] },
 
         // ignore pattern
-        { code: "var _a; var b;", options: [{ vars: "all", varsIgnorePattern: "^_" }], errors: [{ message: "'b' is defined but never used.", line: 1, column: 13 }] },
-        { code: "var a; function foo() { var _b; var c_; } foo();", options: [{ vars: "local", varsIgnorePattern: "^_" }], errors: [{ message: "'c_' is defined but never used.", line: 1, column: 37 }] },
-        { code: "function foo(a, _b) { } foo();", options: [{ args: "all", argsIgnorePattern: "^_" }], errors: [{ message: "'a' is defined but never used.", line: 1, column: 14 }] },
-        { code: "function foo(a, _b, c) { return a; } foo();", options: [{ args: "after-used", argsIgnorePattern: "^_" }], errors: [{ message: "'c' is defined but never used.", line: 1, column: 21 }] },
-        { code: "var [ firstItemIgnored, secondItem ] = items;", options: [{ vars: "all", varsIgnorePattern: "[iI]gnored" }], parserOptions: { ecmaVersion: 6 }, errors: [{ message: "'secondItem' is assigned a value but never used.", line: 1, column: 25 }] },
+        {
+            code: "var _a; var b;",
+            options: [{ vars: "all", varsIgnorePattern: "^_" }],
+            errors: [{ message: "'b' is defined but never used. Allowed unused vars must match /^_/.", line: 1, column: 13 }]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "var a; function foo() { var _b; var c_; } foo();",
+            options: [{ vars: "local", varsIgnorePattern: "^_" }],
+            errors: [{ message: "'c_' is defined but never used. Allowed unused vars must match /^_/.", line: 1, column: 37 }]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "function foo(a, _b) { } foo();",
+            options: [{ args: "all", argsIgnorePattern: "^_" }],
+            errors: [{ message: "'a' is defined but never used. Allowed unused args must match /^_/.", line: 1, column: 14 }]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "function foo(a, _b, c) { return a; } foo();",
+            options: [{ args: "after-used", argsIgnorePattern: "^_" }],
+            errors: [{ message: "'c' is defined but never used. Allowed unused args must match /^_/.", line: 1, column: 21 }]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "function foo(_a) { } foo();",
+            options: [{ args: "all", argsIgnorePattern: "[iI]gnored" }],
+            errors: [{ message: "'_a' is defined but never used. Allowed unused args must match /[iI]gnored/.", line: 1, column: 14 }]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "var [ firstItemIgnored, secondItem ] = items;",
+            options: [{ vars: "all", varsIgnorePattern: "[iI]gnored" }],
+            parserOptions: { ecmaVersion: 6 },
+            errors: [{ message: "'secondItem' is assigned a value but never used. Allowed unused vars must match /[iI]gnored/.", line: 1, column: 25 }]
+        },
 
         // for-in loops (see #2342)
         { code: "(function(obj) { var name; for ( name in obj ) { i(); return; } })({});", errors: [{ message: "'name' is assigned a value but never used.", line: 1, column: 22 }] },
@@ -491,14 +517,14 @@ ruleTester.run("no-unused-vars", rule, {
         {
             code: "try{}catch(err){};",
             options: [{ caughtErrors: "all", caughtErrorsIgnorePattern: "^ignore" }],
-            errors: [{ message: "'err' is defined but never used." }]
+            errors: [{ message: "'err' is defined but never used. Allowed unused args must match /^ignore/." }]
         },
 
         // multiple try catch with one success
         {
             code: "try{}catch(ignoreErr){}try{}catch(err){};",
             options: [{ caughtErrors: "all", caughtErrorsIgnorePattern: "^ignore" }],
-            errors: [{ message: "'err' is defined but never used." }]
+            errors: [{ message: "'err' is defined but never used. Allowed unused args must match /^ignore/." }]
         },
 
         // multiple try catch both fail
@@ -506,8 +532,8 @@ ruleTester.run("no-unused-vars", rule, {
             code: "try{}catch(error){}try{}catch(err){};",
             options: [{ caughtErrors: "all", caughtErrorsIgnorePattern: "^ignore" }],
             errors: [
-                { message: "'error' is defined but never used." },
-                { message: "'err' is defined but never used." }
+                { message: "'error' is defined but never used. Allowed unused args must match /^ignore/." },
+                { message: "'err' is defined but never used. Allowed unused args must match /^ignore/." }
             ]
         },
 
@@ -578,25 +604,25 @@ ruleTester.run("no-unused-vars", rule, {
         {
             code: "(function(a, b, c) {})",
             options: [{ argsIgnorePattern: "c" }],
-            errors: [{ message: "'b' is defined but never used." }]
+            errors: [{ message: "'b' is defined but never used. Allowed unused args must match /c/." }]
         },
         {
             code: "(function(a, b, {c, d}) {})",
             options: [{ argsIgnorePattern: "[cd]" }],
             parserOptions: { ecmaVersion: 6 },
-            errors: [{ message: "'b' is defined but never used." }]
+            errors: [{ message: "'b' is defined but never used. Allowed unused args must match /[cd]/." }]
         },
         {
             code: "(function(a, b, {c, d}) {})",
             options: [{ argsIgnorePattern: "c" }],
             parserOptions: { ecmaVersion: 6 },
-            errors: [{ message: "'d' is defined but never used." }]
+            errors: [{ message: "'d' is defined but never used. Allowed unused args must match /c/." }]
         },
         {
             code: "(function(a, b, {c, d}) {})",
             options: [{ argsIgnorePattern: "d" }],
             parserOptions: { ecmaVersion: 6 },
-            errors: [{ message: "'c' is defined but never used." }]
+            errors: [{ message: "'c' is defined but never used. Allowed unused args must match /d/." }]
         },
         {
             code: "/*global\rfoo*/",