untimely
untimely Lexical Profile
untimely Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Occurring too soon or before the natural or proper time, especially regarding death or the end of something.
"The scholarly community mourned the untimely passing of the distinguished historian."
Happening or done at an unsuitable, inconvenient, or inappropriate time.
"The project was delayed by an untimely interruption during the final planning meeting."
• adverb
At an unsuitable or inconvenient time; prematurely or too early.
"The blossoms opened untimely during a brief warm spell in late winter."
Word Nuance & Usage
Although ending in '-ly', 'untimely' functions predominantly as an adjective in modern English (especially in collocations like 'untimely death' or 'untimely end'); its adverbial use is relatively rare and chiefly literary.
• Rhymes for untimely
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in Middle English in the 13th century, formed from the prefix 'un-' (not) and 'timely', ultimately tracing back to Old English 'tima' (time, season).