ill-timed
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of ill-timed
First recorded in 1685–95
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.
Southwest Airlines ended its fuel hedging program in early 2025, a decision now seen as ill-timed given current market conditions.
From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026
But others criticized Jackson, calling his action ill-timed and ill-advised.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026
Dell’Osso was appointed as CEO of Chesapeake Energy in 2021, months after the company emerged from bankruptcy after a big, ill-timed expansion.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026
Economist Ed Yardeni dubbed this the “front-cover curse” — when financial magazines publish ill-timed covers that in hindsight mark peak optimism or pessimism.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 6, 2026
If a lifetime as the son of the fighter pilot had taught him one thing, it was that he knew instinctively the meaning of this ill-timed visitation: This was a promenade of ruin.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
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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.