unawares

U1N1A1W4A1R1E1S1
/ˌʌnəˈwɛə(ɹ)z/

adverb

Unexpectedly or by surprise.

“I'm afraid I've taken the wrong coat, unawares.”

Similar
short
UncommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

adverbunawares (not comparable)
  1. not comparableUnexpectedly or by surprise.

    Your question catches/takes me unawares, I don't know the answer right now...

    1 more example

    And I with these untoward thoughts had striven, / I saw a Man before me unawares: / The oldest Man he seemed that ever wore grey hairs.

    1815 [1802], William Wordsworth, Resolution and Independence
  2. not comparableInadvertently.

    I'm afraid I've taken the wrong coat, unawares.

  3. not comparableWithout plan or forethought.

Synonyms & antonyms

adverbat a disadvantage

Similar
short
Also see
abackinadvertentlyshort

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From unaware + -s (adverbial suffix). Attested earlier than unaware.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian неочаквано, ненадейно
  • неочаквано (neočakvano)unexpectedly or by surprise
  • ненадейно (nenadejno)unexpectedly or by surprise
  • неумишлено (neumišleno)without plan or forethought
Chinese Mandarin 出其不意, 措手不及
  • 出其不意 (chūqíbùyì)unexpectedly or by surprise
  • 措手不及 (cuòshǒubùjí)unexpectedly or by surprise
  • 未經準備 /未经准备 (wèijīng zhǔnbèi)without plan or forethought
  • 毫無準備 /毫无准备 (háowú zhǔnbèi)without plan or forethought
Danish uforvarende, på sengen
  • uforvarendeunexpectedly or by surprise
  • på sengenunexpectedly or by surprise
  • uplanlagtwithout plan or forethought
Finnish yllättäen, miettimättä
  • yllättäenunexpectedly or by surprise
  • miettimättäwithout plan or forethought
French au dépourvu, à l'improviste
  • au dépourvuunexpectedly or by surprise
  • à l'improvisteunexpectedly or by surprise
  • à l'improvistewithout plan or forethought
German unversehens
  • unversehensunexpectedly or by surprise
Irish gan fhios
  • gan fhiosunexpectedly or by surprise
Norwegian Bokmål uforvarende, på sengen
  • uforvarendeunexpectedly or by surprise
  • på sengenunexpectedly or by surprise
Polish znienacka, niespodziewanie
  • znienackaunexpectedly or by surprise
  • niespodziewanieunexpectedly or by surprise
  • nieumyślnieinadvertently
  • niezamierzenieinadvertently
  • niechcącyinadvertently
  • nieuważnieinadvertently
  • przez nieuwagęinadvertently
  • bezwiedniewithout plan or forethought
  • nieświadomiewithout plan or forethought
Russian враспло́х
  • враспло́х (vrasplóx)unexpectedly or by surprise
Scottish Gaelic gun fhiosta
  • gun fhiostaunexpectedly or by surprise
Ukrainian знена́цька
  • знена́цька (znenácʹka)unexpectedly or by surprise

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with unawares

bearspairsfaresstairsfairsupstairswareztheirsdownstairsairswaresflaresmaresayreseirsUgandan affairs
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

unawares. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unawares

MLA

“unawares.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unawares. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “unawares,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unawares.

Source: unawares on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.