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.
When Manchester City's Antoine Semenyo thought he had scored a second goal in Tuesday's 2-0 win at Newcastle United, no-one seemed to have a clue there was anything untoward.
From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026
Is she doing something untoward with his money?
From MarketWatch • Dec. 15, 2025
“I just know,” she insists, “something untoward has happened.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025
"We also had a hand-held scanner, and sirens and flashing lights should anything untoward be detected," said championship committee member St John Burkett.
From Barron's • Oct. 17, 2025
Thereafter, the whistle alone will deal with trespassing or any other untoward behaviour.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
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.
