awry
Americanadverb
-
with a turn or twist to one side; askew.
to glance or look awry.
-
away from the expected or proper direction; amiss; wrong.
Our plans went awry.
adverb
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with a slant or twist to one side; askew
-
away from the appropriate or right course; amiss
Etymology
Origin of awry
First recorded in 1325–75, awry is from Middle English on wry. See a- 1, wry
Explanation
When something goes wrong with a decent plan, you say it has gone awry. Losing your backpack is a mistake, but when you realize it contained your ticket and your passport, your vacation plans really go awry. Wry means "twisted" — so going awry means getting "twisted up." Awry is similar to askew, which means "off, out of line." Though when you compare the roots skew, "turned at an angle" and wry, "twisted," you see the subtle difference between the two words.
Vocabulary lists containing awry
"The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant
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"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak, Part Four
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"Is Survival Selfish?" Vocabulary from the argument
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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.
But that Hochman thinks about process, and the power that it holds, speaks well for justice in Los Angeles — even, maybe especially, when things go awry.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
Things went awry soon after the couple started dating in 2016.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
"I want to see it rival other apps because I think we have gone awry," he said in an interview a few weeks before the public launch.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
The Canadian mockumentary follows a musical duo determined to play at a Toronto rock club through various schemes that inevitably go awry.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
That was all it took for Quentyn Martell to realize that something had gone awry.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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.
