unawares meaning

UK US /ˌʌnəˈwɛrz/ 3 syllables

unawares (adverb): without forethought or plan; inadvertently.

unawares has 3 meanings in this dictionary.

unawares as an adverb

  1. without forethought or plan; inadvertently
    • came upon the diamond unawares
  2. suddenly and unexpectedly
    • rain caught them unawares
    • sorrow comes to all, and to the young it comes with bittered agony because it takes them unawares
  3. at a disadvantage
    • I was caught short

    Synonyms: short

How to pronounce unawares

unawares is pronounced /ˌʌnəˈwɛrz/ in American English. It has 3 syllables, with the stress on the third syllable.

Words that rhyme with unawares

Word lists: words starting with UN · words ending in ES · 8-letter words

More about unawares on Wikipedia.