unawares
adverb
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L201974 on Wikidata ↗Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˌʌnəˈwɛə(ɹ)z/
adv
Etymology: From unaware + -s (adverbial suffix). Attested earlier than unaware.
- 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.”
- Inadvertently.
“I'm afraid I've taken the wrong coat, unawares.”
- Without plan or forethought.