unwonted

adjective

ˌən-ˈwȯn-təd How to pronounce unwonted (audio)
Definition of unwontednext
as in unusual
being out of the ordinary honored for the unwonted courage he showed in battle

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unwonted Batson posed a follow-up question about the uncertainty principle, politely requesting a reply without unwonted nonsense about bananas. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026 As in most wars, the most onerous burden falls on those who did not sign up for their unwonted parts in this great 21st century drama. — New York Times, 1 Mar. 2021 The unwonted activism of the Christian Democratic chancellor met with skepticism in the United States, in Europe, and certainly in Russia. — Elizabeth Pond, Foreign Affairs, 1 Mar. 2015
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwonted
  1. unusual
  2. extraordinary
  3. exceptional
  4. abnormal
  5. unique
  6. odd
  7. rare
  8. uncommon
Adjective
  • While his batting order remains unchanged, the team has made an unusual move, relocating Guerrero's locker to a new spot.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Land exchanges are common elsewhere in the federal government, but exchanging National Park Service land for private development access is unusual, NOTUS reported, citing a former park service official.
    — Annie Palmer, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of unusual
Adjective
  • However, the extraordinary part is putting it all together, delivering 100 MW net, fitting the system aboard a movable ship, and doing it for $587 million.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026
  • In this state, the fluid gains extraordinary heat capacity and flow properties, carrying more thermal energy to the surface with minimal flow resistance.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of extraordinary
Adjective
  • Sharif said Noreen displayed exceptional courage and devotion to duty by risking her life to save the newborn moments before the nursery burned down.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Founders who recently had one exceptional year sometimes assume that year represents their new baseline, when a buyer will more likely average the last three years, or discount the outlier entirely.
    — Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of exceptional
Adjective
  • Department staff searched for the otter to assess whether the animal was still in the area or displaying any abnormal or concerning behavior, Margiott said.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • An abnormal increase in a protein called sFlt-1 (soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1), which slows down placental growth, Kilpatrick says.
    — Megha Satyanarayana, Scientific American, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of abnormal
Adjective
  • The growing normalization and adoption of open-weight AI models, as enterprises and consumers alike seek to customize models to their unique use cases.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Nike’s athletes’ kits this season were inspired by basketball, presenting a unique sartorial challenge blending the two distinct on-court sports.
    — Alexandra Hildreth, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of unique
Adjective
  • Cue a cross-generational odd-couple road trip, with rather more sightseeing detours than Parini had planned for.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Watching a haunting play out in the moment around a thousand strangers gives the thing an odd and interesting warmth.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of odd
Adjective
  • On September 1, Claire Stoermer shared a rare childhood photo of her daughter to celebrate the milestone.
    — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 2 Sep. 2026
  • If the event detected by this team was caused by the rare interaction between two WIMPs, this would tell scientists some things about these currently hypothetical particles.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of rare
Adjective
  • Following his diagnosis and death, Brody’s parents received messages from other families in Ladera Ranch whose children had suffered from the same uncommon disease.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The league could perhaps benefit from such messaging in its stadiums and on its helmets because DUI arrests or other traffic incidents involving NFL people are not uncommon.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of uncommon

Browse Nearby Words

unwomanly
unwonted
unworkable
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Cite this Entry

“Unwonted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwonted. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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