unbidden
Americanadjective
-
not ordered or commanded; spontaneous.
-
not asked or summoned; uninvited.
adjective
-
not ordered or commanded; voluntary or spontaneous
-
not invited or asked
Etymology
Origin of unbidden
before 1050; Middle English unbiden, Old English unbēden. See un- 1, bidden
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.
Norishige Sato’s culture shock came in the form of the free chips and salsa that arrived unbidden at a Mexican restaurant in Texas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
Getting a Doan’s Bundt cake from Cruise unbidden reinforces the recipient’s high-level social status.
From Salon ● May 7, 2024
And like Peter Falk’s immortal gumshoe, Elsbeth — who will insert herself unbidden into an investigation — asks a lot of questions, some merely out of curiosity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 28, 2024
So, unbidden and unpaid, Hayes proposed to Henry Van Baalen, head of the Haub family trust, that German billionaires Erivan and Helga Haub, longtime visitors to the Methow, buy Sun Mountain.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 25, 2023
Then looking around he caught sight of the strangers, and cried out in a dreadful booming voice, “Who are you who enter unbidden the house of Polyphemus? Traders or thieving pirates?”
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
