awry
Americanadverb
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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.
When something goes awry, loyalty to the group takes precedence over any personal boundaries or scruples.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
It isn’t long, however, before things start to go awry, and it becomes clear that something more sinister than an after-school punishment is going on here.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
But even the best laid plans can go awry.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
Díaz’s season went awry, limited to 18⅔ innings after elbow surgery and then a neck injury.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
Words, dimly familiar but twisted all awry, like faces in a funhouse mirror, fled past, leaving no impression on the glassy surface of my brain.
From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath
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.
