untoward

[uhn-tawrd, -tohrd]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR untoward ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

unfavorable or unfortunate: Untoward circumstances forced him into bankruptcy.

improper: untoward social behavior.

Archaic. froward; perverse.

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Nearby words

Origin of untoward

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

Related formsun·to·ward·ly, adverbun·to·ward·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for untoward

I try not to think about the cold years ahead, when time will slowly poach my youth and my body will begin its untoward changes.
The Modern ‘Lolita’: Dramatizing the Mind of a Female Pedophile in Alissa Nutting’s ‘Tampa’|Roxane Gay|June 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Any objectionable remark, any untoward joke, any awkward facial expression may be recorded and broadcast.
Say Goodbye to Basic Privacy|David Frum|March 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Some delay in their arrival home was occasioned by an untoward incident even before they finally left London.
The Story of the Cambrian|C. P. Gasquoine
What would she do alone with the child if any untoward accident happened to him?
A Little Girl in Old San Francisco|Amanda Minnie Douglas

If some untoward event occurs he roars with laughter, on a day of rejoicing he sheds tears and moans piteously.
Myths of the Rhine|X. B. Saintine
So saying I left him and drove home again, feeling sadly upset by the untoward turn events had taken.
A Cabinet Secret|Guy Boothby
"An untoward event truly," said one of the speakers, Virius Lupus himself, the emperor's private secretary.
Traditions of Lancashire, Volume 2 (of 2)|John Roby

British Dictionary definitions for untoward

untoward

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 Formsuntowardly, 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

Word Origin and History for untoward

untoward

adj.

1520s, "not having inclination" (to or for something), also "difficult to manage, unruly," from un- (1) "not" + toward.