untoward
Americanadjective
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unfavorable or unfortunate.
Untoward circumstances forced him into bankruptcy.
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improper.
untoward social behavior.
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Archaic. froward; perverse.
adjective
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characterized by misfortune, disaster, or annoyance
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not auspicious; adverse; unfavourable
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unseemly or improper
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out of the ordinary; out of the way
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archaic refractory; perverse
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obsolete awkward, ungainly, or uncouth
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of untoward
Explanation
The adjective untoward describes something offensive or inappropriate, like the rumors of untoward behavior that can shatter a Hollywood icon's reputation. Untoward also describes things that are not good for you, such as untoward advice from someone your parents always said was a bad influence. Think about what you do when you move toward something: you get closer to it. Suppose you're moving toward a goal. You are, as they say, "on the right path." But when you add the prefix un- you reverse that, and you're no longer on the path to that goal — you're untoward.
Vocabulary lists containing untoward
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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.
Out of nowhere, Ric appeared, said hello to everyone and, as if nothing untoward had happened, sat down and ate his eggs and beans.
From BBC ● Mar. 27, 2026
Is she doing something untoward with his money?
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 15, 2025
“There were times during those days that we did not make it to school due to inclement weather or some other untoward event,” she wrote in a biographical post on the McAdoo Center website.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 6, 2025
“I just know,” she insists, “something untoward has happened.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 2025
It seemed my best course ol action would be to return to my home and act as though nothing untoward had occurred.
From "Crispin: The Cross of Lead" by Avi
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.
