diff --git a/doc/data/messages/f/function-return-not-assigned/bad.py b/doc/data/messages/f/function-return-not-assigned/bad.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..779ce785d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/data/messages/f/function-return-not-assigned/bad.py
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+def return_int():
+    return 1
+
+
+return_int()  # [function-return-not-assigned]
diff --git a/doc/data/messages/f/function-return-not-assigned/good.py b/doc/data/messages/f/function-return-not-assigned/good.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f409a51e16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/data/messages/f/function-return-not-assigned/good.py
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+def return_int():
+    return 1
+
+
+_ = return_int()
diff --git a/doc/whatsnew/fragments/7935.new_check b/doc/whatsnew/fragments/7935.new_check
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9d80757362
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/whatsnew/fragments/7935.new_check
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Add ``FunctionReturnNotAssignedChecker`` extension and new ``function-return-not-assigned`` message if return value not used.
+
+Refs #7935
diff --git a/pylint/extensions/function_return_not_assigned.py b/pylint/extensions/function_return_not_assigned.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3fe3dd8d86
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pylint/extensions/function_return_not_assigned.py
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+# Licensed under the GPL: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.html
+# For details: https://github.com/pylint-dev/pylint/blob/main/LICENSE
+# Copyright (c) https://github.com/pylint-dev/pylint/blob/main/CONTRIBUTORS.txt
+
+"""Looks for unassigned function/method calls that have non-nullable return type."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+
+import astroid
+from astroid import nodes
+
+from pylint.checkers import BaseChecker
+from pylint.checkers.typecheck import TypeChecker
+from pylint.checkers.utils import only_required_for_messages, safe_infer
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from pylint.lint import PyLinter
+
+
+class FunctionReturnNotAssignedChecker(BaseChecker):
+    name = "function_return_not_assigned"
+    msgs = {
+        "W5486": (
+            "Function returned value which is never used",
+            "function-return-not-assigned",
+            "Function returns non-nullable value which is never used. "
+            "Use explicit `_ = func_call()` if you are not interested in returned value",
+        )
+    }
+
+    @only_required_for_messages("function-return-not-assigned")
+    def visit_call(self, node: nodes.Call) -> None:
+        result_is_used = not isinstance(node.parent, nodes.Expr)
+
+        if result_is_used:
+            return
+
+        function_node = safe_infer(node.func)
+        funcs = (nodes.FunctionDef, astroid.UnboundMethod, astroid.BoundMethod)
+
+        # FIXME: more elegant solution probably exists
+        # methods called on instances returned by functions in some libraries
+        # are having function_node None and needs to be handled here
+        # for example:
+        #   attrs.evolve returned instances
+        #   instances returned by any pyrsistent method (pmap.set, pvector.append, ...)
+        if function_node is None:
+            try:
+                for n in node.func.infer():
+                    if not isinstance(n, astroid.BoundMethod):
+                        continue
+                    function_node = n
+                    break
+            except Exception:  # pylint:disable=broad-exception-caught
+                pass
+
+        if not isinstance(function_node, funcs):
+            return
+
+        # Unwrap to get the actual function node object
+        if isinstance(function_node, astroid.BoundMethod) and isinstance(
+            function_node._proxied, astroid.UnboundMethod
+        ):
+            function_node = function_node._proxied._proxied
+
+        # Make sure that it's a valid function that we can analyze.
+        # Ordered from less expensive to more expensive checks.
+        if (
+            not function_node.is_function
+            or function_node.decorators
+            or TypeChecker._is_ignored_function(function_node)
+        ):
+            return
+
+        return_nodes = list(
+            function_node.nodes_of_class(nodes.Return, skip_klass=nodes.FunctionDef)
+        )
+        for ret_node in return_nodes:
+            if not (
+                isinstance(ret_node.value, nodes.Const)
+                and ret_node.value.value is None
+                or ret_node.value is None
+            ):
+                self.add_message("function-return-not-assigned", node=node)
+                return
+
+
+def register(linter: PyLinter) -> None:
+    linter.register_checker(FunctionReturnNotAssignedChecker(linter))
diff --git a/tests/functional/ext/function_return_not_assigned/function_return_not_assigned.py b/tests/functional/ext/function_return_not_assigned/function_return_not_assigned.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ac9e69ba80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/functional/ext/function_return_not_assigned/function_return_not_assigned.py
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+# pylint: disable=missing-function-docstring, missing-module-docstring, missing-class-docstring, expression-not-assigned, invalid-name
+from dataclasses import dataclass, replace
+
+
+def func_that_returns_something():
+    return 1
+
+
+func_that_returns_something()  # [function-return-not-assigned]
+
+_ = func_that_returns_something()
+
+if func_that_returns_something():
+    pass
+
+
+def func_that_returns_none():
+    return None
+
+
+def func_with_no_explicit_return():
+    print("I am doing something")
+
+
+func_that_returns_none()
+func_with_no_explicit_return()
+
+some_var = ""
+# next line should probably raise?
+func_that_returns_something() if some_var else func_that_returns_none()
+_ = func_that_returns_something() if some_var else func_that_returns_none()
+func_with_no_explicit_return() if some_var else func_that_returns_none()
+
+
+@dataclass
+class TestClass:
+    value: int
+
+    def return_self(self):
+        return self
+
+    def return_none(self):
+        pass
+
+
+inst = TestClass(1)
+inst.return_self()  # [function-return-not-assigned]
+inst.return_none()
+
+replace(inst, value=3)  # [function-return-not-assigned]
+
+inst = replace(inst, value=3)
+
+inst.return_self()  # [function-return-not-assigned]
+inst.return_none()
+inst = inst.return_self()
diff --git a/tests/functional/ext/function_return_not_assigned/function_return_not_assigned.rc b/tests/functional/ext/function_return_not_assigned/function_return_not_assigned.rc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3b66585607
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/functional/ext/function_return_not_assigned/function_return_not_assigned.rc
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+[MAIN]
+load-plugins=pylint.extensions.function_return_not_assigned,
diff --git a/tests/functional/ext/function_return_not_assigned/function_return_not_assigned.txt b/tests/functional/ext/function_return_not_assigned/function_return_not_assigned.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5da590fa7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/functional/ext/function_return_not_assigned/function_return_not_assigned.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+function-return-not-assigned:9:0:9:29::Function returned value which is never used:UNDEFINED
+function-return-not-assigned:47:0:47:18::Function returned value which is never used:UNDEFINED
+function-return-not-assigned:50:0:50:22::Function returned value which is never used:UNDEFINED
+function-return-not-assigned:54:0:54:18::Function returned value which is never used:UNDEFINED
diff --git a/tests/functional/f/function_return_not_assigned.txt b/tests/functional/f/function_return_not_assigned.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e69de29bb2