unaware
Americanadjective
adverb
adjective
-
(postpositive) not aware or conscious (of)
unaware of the danger, he ran across the road
-
not fully cognizant of what is going on in the world
he's the most unaware person I've ever met
adverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unaware
First recorded in 1585–95; un- 1 + aware; compare Middle English unywar ( see y-)
Explanation
Unaware is simply the opposite of "aware." If you are unaware, you have no idea what's going on. To be unaware is to be totally incognizant (but not incontinent). To be "caught unawares" means you were caught off guard or by surprise. Either way you've got your head in the clouds about something. Now some people might say that ignorance is bliss, but the guy in the crosswalk who was unaware of the bus barreling down on him at full speed might disagree.
Vocabulary lists containing unaware
Novel Study: Of Mice and Men, Chapters 1–3
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Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
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"Shakespeare dumbed down in comic strips for bored pupils"
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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.
Then-White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the White House was unaware of Perez’s bets and that the president was furious over the idea of individuals in his administration trading on inside information.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
They say they were unaware of the girl's age and that some members of the group do not even recall seeing her in the nightclub.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
I am unaware of any other stock-selection approach whose annualized alpha — either positive or negative — is this far from zero.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who will decide the case using the jury's verdict as guidance, appeared stunned that Fogu was unaware of the internal data.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
Suddenly I realized I had been completely unaware of what my face was doing.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
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.
