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unawares

adv
/ˌʌnəˈwɛə(ɹ)z/

Etymology

From unaware + -s (adverbial suffix). Attested earlier than unaware.

  1. inherited from *gawar✻
  2. inherited from ġewær
  3. inherited from aware
  4. formed as unaware — “un- + aware”
  5. formed as unawares — “unaware + -s”

Definitions

  1. Unexpectedly or by surprise.

    • Your question catches/takes me unawares, I don't know the answer right now...
    • And I with these untoward thoughts had striven, / I saw a Man before me unawares: / The oldest Man he seemed that ever wore grey hairs.

  2. Inadvertently.

    • I'm afraid I've taken the wrong coat, unawares.

  3. Without plan or forethought.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for unawares. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA