untimely

1 of 2

adverb

un·​time·​ly ˌən-ˈtīm-lē 

1

: at an inopportune time : unseasonably

… thought I was mad, or most untimely merry …

—T. E. Lawrence

2

: before the due, natural, or proper time : prematurely

went untimely to the grave

untimely

2 of 2

adjective

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

Synonyms of untimely

Adjective

• early
• premature
• unexpected
• sudden
• inopportune

Examples of untimely in a Sentence

Adjective

the untimely arrival of our guests caught us by surprise

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Birds visiting the feeder can get the goo on their wings, hampering their ability to fly and possibly leading to their untimely deaths. — Joan Morris, Mercury News, 17 Aug. 2026

Incomplete, corrupted, untimely, or unintelligible Submissions or Submission Forms will be disqualified. — August 16, NPR, 16 Aug. 2026

The organizer of Tristan’s GoFundMe noted that he was set to start his senior year of high school and get his driver’s license before his untimely death. — Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026

That’s the takeaway from an incident in the small city of Chuzhou, China, after a large langue model dispensed some advice that led to the untimely death of 25 acres worth of produce. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 12 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for untimely

• sublimely
• timely

Kids Definition

untimely

adjective

un·​time·​ly

ˌən-ˈtīm-lē, 

ˈən-

1

: occurring or done before the expected, natural, or proper time : premature

untimely death

2

: coming at the wrong time

an untimely joke

Legal Definition

untimely

adjective

un·​time·​ly

ˌən-ˈtīm-lē

: not timely

especially : not made or filed within a period of time specified by procedural rule

an untimely petition

untimeliness noun

untimely adverb