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untoward

[ uhn-tawrd, -tohrd ]
/ ʌnˈtɔrd, -ˈtoʊrd /
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adjective
unfavorable or unfortunate: Untoward circumstances forced him into bankruptcy.
improper: untoward social behavior.
Archaic. froward; perverse.
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Origin of untoward

First recorded in 1520–30; un-1 + toward

OTHER WORDS FROM untoward

un·to·ward·ly, adverbun·to·ward·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use untoward in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for untoward

untoward
/ (ˌʌntəˈwɔːd, ʌnˈtəʊəd) /

adjective
characterized by misfortune, disaster, or annoyance
not auspicious; adverse; unfavourable
unseemly or improper
out of the ordinary; out of the way
archaic refractory; perverse
obsolete awkward, ungainly, or uncouth

Derived forms of untoward

untowardly, adverbuntowardness, 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
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