uncalled-for
adjective
not called for; not required; superfluous; unwanted.
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uncalled-for
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uncalled for
uncalled forNot justified, undeserved, as in That rude remark was uncalled for. [Early 1800s] Also see call for, def. 3.
uncalled-for
American
[uhn-kawld-fawr]
/ ʌnˈkɔldˌfɔr /
adjective
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not called for; not required; superfluous; unwanted.
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unwarranted; unjustified; improper.
an uncalled-for criticism.
uncalled-for
British
/ ˌʌnˈkɔːldfɔː /
adjective
uncalled for
Idioms
Etymology
Origin of uncalled-for
First recorded in 1600–10
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.
See Examples For:
Outside of the uncalled-for bullying, Jessel's sarcastic delivery, her eccentric fashions and her seemingly connected status in the New York fashion scene have really cemented her as a star in the making.
From Salon ● Oct. 18, 2023
Better, but still bad: a $37 crabcake, mushy in some places and dry in others, with muddy-tasting crab lumps and an intermittent, uncalled-for spicy heat.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 24, 2022
It sounds like a deliberate and uncalled-for put-down.
From New York Times ● Apr. 19, 2018
The State Department has called Putin’s order “a regrettable and uncalled-for act.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2017
Any other thing a person might eat—a banana, an egg, the bean called mangwansi, a piece of fire-blackened antelope flesh—was just the opposite, and its consumption was seen as a remarkable, possibly uncalled-for occasion.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
“The problem with the President’s approach is that it is uncoordinated, uncalled for, and unsound,” he shared.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2025
He added that the furore over the sale was "uncalled for" and that he had not expected it to become national news.
From BBC ● Dec. 6, 2024
“It’s uncalled for and something needs to be done, whether it’s them checking their fans or this league checking. There’s no time for it anymore,” she added.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2024
“I definitely think it was uncalled for, but I mean, it’s a rivalry game so I kind of expected it,” UNC guard RJ Davis said with a smile.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 9, 2024
The comments upon my personal life were uncalled for and revealed a shocking lack of taste and decency.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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.
