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untimely

[ uhn-tahym-lee ]
/ ʌnˈtaɪm li /
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See synonyms for untimely on Thesaurus.com
adjective, un·time·li·er, un·time·li·est.
not timely; not occurring at a suitable time or season; ill-timed or inopportune: An untimely downpour stopped the game.
happening too soon or too early; premature: his untimely demise.
adverb
prematurely.
unseasonably.
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Origin of untimely

First recorded in 1150–1200, untimely is from the Middle English word untimliche.See un-1, timely

OTHER WORDS FROM untimely

un·time·li·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

Words related to untimely

ill-timed, improper, premature, undue, unfortunate, abortive, anachronistic, awkward, bright and early, disagreeable, early, early bird, early on, inauspicious, inconvenient, inexpedient, inopportune, intrusive, malapropos, mistimed

How to use untimely in a sentence

  • At the tone of this question Mrs. Skene suddenly realized the untimeliness of her complaints.

    Cashel Byron's Profession|George Bernard Shaw

  • They hold their jubilees in weeds rather; and the untimeliness of genius is the tragedy of life as of letters.

    Tablets|Amos Bronson Alcott

  • Most certainly, the results of the carrying out of that project were such as to prove all that they claimed of its untimeliness.

    Glimpses of Three Coasts|Helen Hunt Jackson

British Dictionary definitions for untimely

untimely
/ (ʌnˈtaɪmlɪ) /
adjective
occurring before the expected, normal, or proper timean untimely death
inappropriate to the occasion, time, or seasonhis joking at the funeral was most untimely
adverb
prematurely or inopportunely

Derived forms of untimely

untimeliness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with untimely

untimely

see come to an (untimely) end.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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