untimely
Americanadjective
-
not timely; not occurring at a suitable time or season; ill-timed or inopportune.
An untimely downpour stopped the game.
- Synonyms:
- unsuitable, inconvenient, inappropriate, unseasonable
-
happening too soon or too early; premature.
his untimely demise.
adverb
adjective
-
occurring before the expected, normal, or proper time
an untimely death
-
inappropriate to the occasion, time, or season
his joking at the funeral was most untimely
adverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of untimely
First recorded in 1150–1200, untimely is from the Middle English word untimliche. See un- 1, timely
Explanation
Something untimely has occurred prematurely, and it's usually not good news. If you hear about someone's untimely death, it must mean it was an unexpected death. When something is timely, it happens at the right time. When something is untimely, it means the opposite: it happened at an unfortunate or unexpected time. Usually, this means it happened much too early. The most common use of this term is probably in discussing someone’s untimely death, meaning they died young. Other disasters that happen to young people might be described as untimely as well.
Vocabulary lists containing untimely
Romeo and Juliet
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"Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King, Jr. (1963)
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The Tragedy of Macbeth
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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.
"Love Story" drummed up controversy -- and viewers -- with its revisiting of the A-list couple's courtship and untimely deaths, but it only earned six nominations.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
On Monday evening, the Belgian Red Devils swept into Seattle and brought the American World Cup campaign to an untimely end with a 4-1 defeat in the round of 16.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
Whether it’s a blockbuster trade that brought Doncic to L.A. or an untimely injury that sidelines the superstar guard at the most important time of the season, Redick is able to compartmentalize each day’s mission.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2026
They had become separated because of the untimely need of a restroom visit, and with the help of the Secret Service he got to her quickly.
From Salon ● May 1, 2026
Apparently, Xenocrates wasn’t the only one who felt freed by Goddard’s untimely end.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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.
