un·time·ly
ˌən-ˈtīm-lē 
1
: at an inopportune time : unseasonably
… thought I was mad, or most untimely merry …—
T. E. Lawrence
T. E. Lawrence2
: before the due, natural, or proper time : prematurely
went untimely to the grave
1
: inopportune, unseasonable
an untimely joke
untimely frost
2
a
: occurring or done before the due, natural, or proper time : too early : premature
an untimely death
b
: not made, done, or submitted within a set time period
an untimely petition
untimeliness
noun
Examples of untimely in a Sentence
Adjective
the untimely arrival of our guests caught us by surprise
Recent Examples on the Web
Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 10 Dec. 2025
The Polish director revisits the life of the iconic writer, born into a German-speaking Czech Jewish family in Prague in 1883, from his teen years to his untimely death at just 40.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 6 Dec. 2025
One professor quoted in the piece argued that the number of untimely deaths among young scholars appeared unusually high compared with other countries, even if precise international comparisons are hard to make.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 4 Dec. 2025
The influential singer-songwriter only released a single studio LP before his untimely death.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for untimely
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Adjective
Rachel Robinson established the Jackie Robinson Foundation in 1973, a year after her husband’s untimely death at 53 after a heart attack.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 10 Dec. 2025
The Polish director revisits the life of the iconic writer, born into a German-speaking Czech Jewish family in Prague in 1883, from his teen years to his untimely death at just 40.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 6 Dec. 2025
One professor quoted in the piece argued that the number of untimely deaths among young scholars appeared unusually high compared with other countries, even if precise international comparisons are hard to make.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 4 Dec. 2025
The influential singer-songwriter only released a single studio LP before his untimely death.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for untimely
Cite this Entry
“Untimely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/untimely. Accessed 15 Dec. 2025.
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