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
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 5 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
That's a fair question in the aftermath of his untimely departure from Ole Miss to accept the head coaching job at LSU.
—Chase Goodbread, The Tuscaloosa News, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for untimely
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
The film has found a strong base of support with people born after Buckley’s untimely death in 1997 at the age of 30.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 5 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
That's a fair question in the aftermath of his untimely departure from Ole Miss to accept the head coaching job at LSU.
—Chase Goodbread, The Tuscaloosa News, 2 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 8 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share