PREMATURE Synonyms: 24 Similar and Opposite Words

premature

adjective

ˌprē-mə-ˈchu̇r

Definition of premature

as in early

occurring before the usual or expected time his premature arrival at his own surprise party almost ruined everything

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of premature The Oilers gave the trio a chance at a Stanley Cup before a premature first-round exit to the Anaheim Ducks. — Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026 Criteria air pollutants directly cause illnesses like sinus inflammation, lung and heart disease, cancers, and premature death because of how their physical properties interact with the human body. — Rebecca Florsheim, STAT, 17 July 2026 Held in Las Vegas, the five-bout main card climaxed with the premature faceoff between McGregor and Holloway, who last fought each other in 2013. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 16 July 2026 That feat was called off for Flight 12 due to a premature shutdown of one of the Raptor engines. — Lee Billings & Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for premature

Recent Examples of Synonyms for premature

Adjective

In a statement, historic preservation group Historic KC said the building once served as the headquarters of the Western Newspaper Union, whose services supplied thousands of weekly newspapers through the country in the early 1900s.

— Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026
The final plan, announced Thursday, includes early voting sites at Cabarrus Arena & Events Center, Afton Ridge Library, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College’s Kannapolis campus, and Cabarrus County EMS Headquarters.

— Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026

Definition of early

Adjective

Since the mysterious deaths of a husband and wife in the Medici family, a powerful Italian dynasty that ruled Florence and Tuscany almost uninterruptedly from 1434 to 1737, rumors have swirled about what led to the couple’s untimely demise.

— Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
Plans for low volume road-car production were curtailed by Bruce’s untimely death while testing at Goodwood in 1970, and the original has been something of a dusty footnote until now.

— Jason Barlow, Robb Report, 13 July 2026

Definition of untimely

Adjective

But somewhere between talking about recipes and the future of food, the conversation took an unexpected turn.

— Monti Carlo, AJC.com, 17 July 2026
Aside from simply driving through Yellowstone, taking in the sights on foot resulted in 15 deaths through accidental falls, exposure, unexpected medical issues, and run-ins with animals like bison or bears.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 16 July 2026

Definition of unexpected

Adjective

The film centers on Prabha, a troubled young man whose sudden and unexplained death triggers a ripple effect across his extended family and community.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 July 2026
Cyclosporiasis symptoms include sudden, watery and occasionally explosive diarrhea—these symptoms usually appear between two days and two weeks after ingesting the parasite.

— Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 17 July 2026

Definition of sudden

Adjective

His novels American Psycho and Less Than Zero received buzzy adaptations in the 1990s, cementing the writer’s place as precocious bard of the unraveling elite.

— Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
His career began with a YouTube series Armitage first turned heads with his YouTube series, Iain Loves Theatre, in which the precocious child reviewed Broadway and other musical productions.

— Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026

Definition of precocious

Adjective

American fans will rue the fact that such a feel-good story ended in embarrassment on and off the field as a US president who loves the spotlight seized it at an inopportune time and then a promising team crashed out in the worst way possible.

— Ben Church, CNN Money, 7 July 2026
Missing out on this opportunity would be more than inopportune.

— Thomas Drance, New York Times, 1 July 2026

Definition of inopportune

Browse Nearby Words

premarital

premature

prematurely

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“Premature.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/premature. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of premature

adjective

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