Meaning & use
Unawares
Last updated
In a manner that is unexpected or not noticed beforehand; by surprise.
See it in a sentence
The sudden downpour caught the hikers unawares.
She wandered into the meeting unawares that it had already ended.
A note on using this word
Most commonly used after the verb 'catch' or 'take', as in 'caught unawares'; despite the final 's', it functions as an adverb, not a plural noun.
Words with a similar meaning
by surpriseunexpectedly
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
knowingly
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