untimely

[ uhn-tahym-lee ]
/ ʌnˈtaɪm li /
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. 2020

Words related to untimely

undue, improper, premature, unfortunate, ill-timed, abortive, awkward, disagreeable, early, inauspicious, inconvenient, inexpedient, inopportune, intrusive, malapropos, out-of-date, previous, soon, unfavorable, unfit

Example sentences from the Web for untimely

  • 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

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

    Tablets|Amos Bronson Alcott

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

    Cashel Byron's Profession|George Bernard Shaw

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

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.