unawares
adverb
un·awares ˌən-ə-ˈwerz 
1
: without design, attention, preparation, or premeditation
2
: without warning : suddenly, unexpectedly
Synonyms
- aback
- suddenly
- unanticipatedly
- unaware
- unexpectedly
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
the thunderstorm caught us unawares, and we scrambled to get off the ridge as lightning started to flash
Recent Examples on the Web To deter customers from doing research—to reconstruct the gloriously profitable world of information asymmetry—companies need to catch them unawares. 
Tad Friend, The New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2022 The career of Marco Bellocchio has been extensive, fertile, and constantly capable of taking us unawares. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 15 July 2022 If restaurateurs were caught unawares, so was Grubhub. Tim Carman, Washington Post, 17 May 2022 From my perspective, there’s no excuse for being caught unawares, and clinging to the easier or cheaper option is a far riskier business decision than exploring other avenues now. Sjoerd Fauser, Forbes, 25 Apr. 2022 Herbert also said he had been caught unawares by the attorney general’s actions. Daedan Olander, The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 Mar. 2022 But it’s here in the good old U.S. of A. that Azerbaijan has had the greatest success covertly influencing policy and policymakers, with both constituents and regulators caught unawares. Casey Michel, The New Republic, 26 Jan. 2022 Diana Pratt-Simar, a historian/docent at Donner Memorial State Park, says snow can catch people unawares. Washington Post, 13 Jan. 2022 At a Republican rally in August, Johnson was caught unawares by Windsor, who quizzed him about the 2020 presidential contest. Daniel Bice, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 16 Nov. 2021 See More
Tad Friend, The New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2022 The career of Marco Bellocchio has been extensive, fertile, and constantly capable of taking us unawares. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 15 July 2022 If restaurateurs were caught unawares, so was Grubhub. Tim Carman, Washington Post, 17 May 2022 From my perspective, there’s no excuse for being caught unawares, and clinging to the easier or cheaper option is a far riskier business decision than exploring other avenues now. Sjoerd Fauser, Forbes, 25 Apr. 2022 Herbert also said he had been caught unawares by the attorney general’s actions. Daedan Olander, The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 Mar. 2022 But it’s here in the good old U.S. of A. that Azerbaijan has had the greatest success covertly influencing policy and policymakers, with both constituents and regulators caught unawares. Casey Michel, The New Republic, 26 Jan. 2022 Diana Pratt-Simar, a historian/docent at Donner Memorial State Park, says snow can catch people unawares. Washington Post, 13 Jan. 2022 At a Republican rally in August, Johnson was caught unawares by Windsor, who quizzed him about the 2020 presidential contest. Daniel Bice, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 16 Nov. 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
un- + aware + -s, adverb suffix, from Middle English, from -s, genitive singular ending of nouns — more at -s
First Known Use
1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing unawares
Kids Definition
unawares
adverb
un·awares ˌən-ə-ˈwerz
1
: without warning : by surprise
"The danger is being caught unawares." Gail Carson Levine, Ella Enchanted
Gail Carson Levine, Ella Enchanted2
: without knowing : unintentionally I came upon them unawares.
unawares
adverb
as in suddenly
without warning the thunderstorm caught us unawares, and we scrambled to get off the ridge as lightning started to flash Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- suddenly
- unaware
- unexpectedly
- aback
- off base
- abruptly
- all of a sudden
- unanticipatedly
- short
- surprisingly
- amazingly
- astoundingly
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- slowly
- sluggishly
- tardily
- obviously
- leisurely
- laggardly
- pokily
- surrejoins
- surrender
- surrender (to)
- surrender charge
- surrender to
- surrendered
- surrendered (to)
- surrendered to
- surrenderee
- surrenderees
- surrenderer
- surrenderers
- surrendering
- surrendering (to)
- surrendering to
- surrenderor
- surrenderors
- surrenders
- surrenders (to)
- surrenders to
- surrendry
- surrentum
- surreptitious
- surreptitiously
- surreptitiousness