unaccustomed
Americanadjective
-
not accustomed or habituated.
to be unaccustomed to hardships.
-
unusual; unfamiliar.
A brief after-dinner speech is an unaccustomed pleasure.
- Synonyms:
- unexpected, peculiar, curious, extraordinary, uncommon
adjective
-
(foll by to) not used (to)
unaccustomed to pain
-
not familiar; strange or unusual
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unaccustomed
First recorded in 1520–30; un- 1 + accustomed
Explanation
If you're unaccustomed to something, you're not used to it. When you're unaccustomed to riding a horse, it might take a while to get the hang of staying in the saddle. An unaccustomed knock on the door might startle you and make your dog bark in alarm, and an unaccustomed bonus in your paycheck will come as a happy surprise. You might feel awkward having tea with a princess in a palace if you're unaccustomed to fine dining and dignified table manners. The prefix un here means "not," and it's combined with accustom, with its ultimate Latin root word consuetudinem, "habit, usage, practice, or custom."
Vocabulary lists containing unaccustomed
Flowers for Algernon
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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
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Stories of Ourselves
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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.
One of Luna’s friends, unaccustomed to the social boundaries of a more analog era, called 17 times in a day.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026
NWS meteorologist Allison Santorelli told AFP the agency was seeing widespread reports of significant ice accumulation, including in places unaccustomed to severe winter weather.
From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026
Vallieries, who’d only won one prior race as a pro, was so unaccustomed to the ritual she appeared baffled by the protocols of her medal ceremony.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025
The scorching heat has also taken a toll on residents, who are unaccustomed to living in such high temperatures.
From BBC • Jul. 20, 2025
He held my hand firmly to his breast, and my own heart beat with unaccustomed joy.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
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.
