untoward

[ uhn-tawrd, -tohrd ]

/ ʌnˈtɔrd, -ˈtoʊrd /

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.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

untold, untouchability, untouchable, untouched, untouristy, untoward, untracked, untrained, untrammelled, untranslated, untraveled

Origin of untoward

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

Related forms

un·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

/ (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

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