unaware
Americanadjective
adverb
adjective
-
(postpositive) not aware or conscious (of)
unaware of the danger, he ran across the road
-
not fully cognizant of what is going on in the world
he's the most unaware person I've ever met
adverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unaware
First recorded in 1585–95; un- 1 + aware; compare Middle English unywar ( see y-)
Explanation
Unaware is simply the opposite of "aware." If you are unaware, you have no idea what's going on. To be unaware is to be totally incognizant (but not incontinent). To be "caught unawares" means you were caught off guard or by surprise. Either way you've got your head in the clouds about something. Now some people might say that ignorance is bliss, but the guy in the crosswalk who was unaware of the bus barreling down on him at full speed might disagree.
Vocabulary lists containing unaware
Novel Study: Of Mice and Men, Chapters 1–3
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Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
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"Shakespeare dumbed down in comic strips for bored pupils"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Some were unaware of just how much it would cost them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
Los Angeles County Fire Department Incident Command “was unaware that the fire had progressed through west Altadena until the daylight hours on January 8, 2025,” the report read.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
Certain White House officials were caught off guard, unaware the health department aimed to unveil it, a person familiar with the matter said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Idah was unaware of any possible abuse during the match and is now being supported by team-mates and staff members before the Republic of Ireland's remaining three fixtures in the current international break.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
MacDuff was at the far end of the lawn, sniffing at something in a pile of old logs, his back to the house, unaware of my presence.
From "The Old Willis Place" by Mary Downing Hahn
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
