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.
Its beaux-arts design was inspired by Rome’s Baths of Caracalla and its myth has only grown since its untimely demise.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 13, 2026
So while some of the show’s characters met untimely or tragic ends, Maddy came through the other side as someone more powerful: a Latina who didn’t fade into the background but, instead, commanded our attention.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 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
"I was playing great, but momentum shifted for me around the Amen Corner. That three-putt was untimely for sure."
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026
“But surely you do know what makes the prince so wild and mad lately. Some say it is his father’s untimely death, while others blame his mother’s hasty marriage.”
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
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.
