1
as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
tried to reason with the untoward child
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in uncontrollable
given to resisting control or discipline by others
a program for untoward teenagers that is designed to give them the kind of discipline that their parents were unable or unwilling to administer
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3
as in adverse
opposed to one's interests
achieved great success as an artist despite growing up in a very untoward milieu
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4
as in inappropriate
not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation
unfortunately, one of the symptoms of dementia can be a tendency to make untoward and often shocking remarks
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of untoward
Nothing heavy, nothing untoward.
—
Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2026
Thankfully, there’s nothing so untoward about the allegations facing the Clippers now.
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 15 Feb. 2026
None of these inspections turned up anything untoward.
—Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 25 Sep. 2025
Nor is there anything untoward and deceptive about it.
—Adam Gelb, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for untoward
Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2026
Thankfully, there’s nothing so untoward about the allegations facing the Clippers now.
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 15 Feb. 2026
None of these inspections turned up anything untoward.
—Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 25 Sep. 2025
Nor is there anything untoward and deceptive about it.
—Adam Gelb, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for untoward
Recent Examples of Synonyms for untoward
Adjective
-
As a whole, the return of the Ninja 300 feels almost rebellious in today's motorcycle market.—
Utkarsh Sood
June 13,
New Atlas,
13 June 2026
-
Difficult teenage years with lots of poor decisions and rebellious behavior.—
Eric Thomas,
Sun Sentinel,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
In place of the ancient forest was a shorn land besieged by uncontrollable wildfires, prone to land-slides and erosion.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
-
There are many uncontrollable factors such as settling into a new environment, family issues and injuries, how fast a player adapts, how their pathway can become blocked by the emergence of others in their position, and different coaches having different opinions of players.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Under its bylaws, the Big 12 can punish a member school for engaging in actions materially adverse to the conference.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
13 June 2026
-
Such insurance contracts are commonplace among teams and players to insure against adverse events, according to Karl Lockhart, a DePaul University law professor specialized in prediction markets.—
Camila Grigera Naon,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
That same month, Lambert was investigating an assault and began sending inappropriate messages to the victim in that case.—
Liam Quinn,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
-
Duncan did not respond to requests for comment seeking details about the conduct investigators found inappropriate.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
In a sport long defined by its rigidity and rigorous training, Liu, 20, is a rebel and role model for simply loving to skate.—
Alice Park,
Time,
9 June 2026
-
De la Espriella has promised to cancel the talks and take a more confrontational approach to rebel groups that includes using airplanes to spray coca fields with herbicides.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
Researchers have been looking into ways to reduce the stubborn inflammation HIV causes in the central nervous system.—
Smita S. Iyer,
The Conversation,
8 June 2026
-
The findings, published in 2025 in Brain Stimulation, point to a fundamentally new way of treating one of the most stubborn psychiatric conditions, using a miniaturized implant that delivers brief bursts of stimulation only during key moments of exposure therapy.—
Samantha Agate,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
The undertaking might seem crazy to those who diss the fight game or have unfavorable reviews of the current administration.—
Dan Gelston,
Fortune,
13 June 2026
-
Negotiating power is harder to see—until conditions become unfavorable and someone needs to act against the system their balance sheet depends on.—
Anatoly Iofe,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Sorsby and Texas Tech might also petition the NCAA to punish the Big 12 and other members for undermining a court order, improper conduct that the NCAA would ordinarily find problematic even if in this instance the NCAA is an adverse party to Sorsby.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
13 June 2026
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Federal authorities said the unsafe or improper use of drones, also known as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), can pose risks to aircraft, law enforcement operations and people on the ground.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Untoward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untoward. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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