Meanings
adjectiveunbidden (not comparable)
- not comparablenot invited, requested or asked for
The words of the spell rose unbidden in his throat. He opened his mouth as in a dream, shaping it around the first barbaric syllable.
1983, Terry Pratchett, The Colour of Magic, published 2022, page 134
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*né
- Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
- Proto-Germanic*un-
- Proto-West Germanic*un-
- Old Englishun-
- Middle Englishun-
- Englishun-
- Englishbidden
- Englishunbidden
Translations
Ancient Greek ἀκέλευστος, ἄκλητος
- ἀκέλευστος (akéleustos)not invited or requested
- ἄκλητος (áklētos)not invited or requested
Bulgarian нежелан
- нежелан (neželan)not invited or requested
Czech nevyžádaný, nezvaný
- nevyžádanýnot invited or requested
- nezvanýnot invited or requested
- nepozvanýnot invited or requested
Italian non invitato, senza invito
- non invitatonot invited or requested
- senza invitonot invited or requested
Latin iniussus, invocātus
- iniussusnot invited or requested
- invocātusnot invited or requested
Russian незваный
- незваный (nezvanyj)not invited or requested
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
unbidden. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unbidden
MLA
“unbidden.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unbidden. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “unbidden,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unbidden.
Source: unbidden on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.