untimely
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.happening earlier than expected, especially when referring to a person's death.
adj.occurring before the natural or expected time; frequently used as a euphemism for a premature death.
Simple“The news of the young actor's untimely death shocked his fans around the world.”
In context“The company struggled to recover following the untimely departure of its founder, whose vision had guided every major project for a decade.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.happening at a time that is not suitable or causes problems.
adj.occurring at an inopportune or inconvenient moment.
Simple“An untimely power cut ruined the chef's plans for the big dinner party.”
In context“The sudden rainstorm proved to be an untimely interruption for the outdoor wedding ceremony, forcing the guests to seek shelter in the small chapel.”
Synonymsinopportuneill timedAntonymsopportunewell timed - 03 C1 Advanced
adv.happening or done before the right time.
adv.occurring prematurely or at an inappropriate time. Often functions as a flat adverb in formal or literary contexts.
Simple“The blossoms appeared untimely due to the unusually warm winter weather.”
In context“The frost arrived untimely, destroying the harvest before the farmers had a chance to gather the remaining crops.”
Synonymsprematurelytoo soonAntonyms
“If we are to successfully prevent tragic and untimely deaths among these young people, we need to recognize that youth justice is more than a criminal justice issue.”
From Middle English untymely (also earlier untimliche), equivalent to un- + timely. First attested in the early 13th century. Compare Middle Danish utimelig, Old English untídlic (“unreasonable”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.