untoward

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
12
Words With Friends
14
Letters
8
Pronunciation
/ˌʌn.tʊˈwɔːd/(UK)
See all 4 pronunciations
/ˌʌn.tʊˈwɔːd/(UK) · /ˌʌn.təˈwɔɹd/(US) · /ˌʌn.tʊˈwɔɹd/(US) · /ʌnˈtɔɹd/(US)

Definition of untoward

3 senses · 1 part of speech · etymology included

adj

  1. Unfavourable, adverse, or disadvantageous.
    “But as soon as her son espied her, bowl in hand, he thought that haply something untoward had befallen her, but he would not ask of aught until such time as she had set down the bowl, when she acquainted him with that which had occurred[…]”
    “Honest men for the most part, but men with whom the world had dealt hardly; the failures of all countries, men sobered by toil and saddened by exile, who had been driven to fight for the dominion of an untoward soil, to sow where others should gather, the advance-guard of a mighty civilization to be.”
    “At Tebay however, he began to get the mastery over these untoward conditions, and actually got back a little time up to Shap, after which all was plain sailing.”
    “No untoward effects were reported; however, this was not a blinded or controlled study.”
    “However, these guidelines may not be applicable to all individuals with refractory epilepsy, in whom seizure control is not achieved without using polytherapy or resection surgery with their untoward side effects.”
See all 3 definitions

adj

  1. Unfavourable, adverse, or disadvantageous.
    “But as soon as her son espied her, bowl in hand, he thought that haply something untoward had befallen her, but he would not ask of aught until such time as she had set down the bowl, when she acquainted him with that which had occurred[…]”
    “Honest men for the most part, but men with whom the world had dealt hardly; the failures of all countries, men sobered by toil and saddened by exile, who had been driven to fight for the dominion of an untoward soil, to sow where others should gather, the advance-guard of a mighty civilization to be.”
    “At Tebay however, he began to get the mastery over these untoward conditions, and actually got back a little time up to Shap, after which all was plain sailing.”
    “No untoward effects were reported; however, this was not a blinded or controlled study.”
    “However, these guidelines may not be applicable to all individuals with refractory epilepsy, in whom seizure control is not achieved without using polytherapy or resection surgery with their untoward side effects.”
  2. Unruly, troublesome; not easily guided.
  3. Unseemly, improper.
    “She could hardly have made a more untoward choice.”
    “The managing director was very depressed at the news, but realized that trying to prove anything untoward had taken place would be very difficult.”
    ““I have a suspicion that someone is trying to recategorize my generosity to ex-girlfriends as something more untoward,” Gaetz said. As only he could.”

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Etymology

From un- + toward (“to + -ward”).

Anagrams of untoward

1 play · all valid Scrabble

Words you can make from untoward

172 playable · top: OUTDRAWN (12 pts)

Best play outdrawn 12 points

7-letter words

3 words

6-letter words

9 words

5-letter words

16 words

4-letter words

61 words

3-letter words

63 words

2-letter words

19 words

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