unlooked for

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word unlooked for. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word unlooked for, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say unlooked for in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word unlooked for you have here. The definition of the word unlooked for will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofunlooked for, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From un- + looked for + -ed.

Adjective

unlooked for (comparative more unlooked for, superlative most unlooked for)

  1. Not expected or anticipated; unforeseen.
    • 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The life and death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :
      A heavy sentence, my most sovereign liege,
      And all unlook’d for from your highness’ mouth:
    • 1865, “Philoctetes”, in Edward Hayes Plumptre, transl., The Tragedies of Sophocles‎, London: Isbister, Appendix, page 495:
      And now he perisheth
      With this unlooked for, undeservèd death:
    • 1906, Charles G. D. Roberts, chapter 21, in The Heart That Knows‎, Boston: L. C. Page:
      The attack was so utterly unlooked for, and delivered with such force, moreover, from the advantage of the step, that Tommy Coxen was knocked clean over, falling on his back with Seth on top of him.
    • 2002 June 20, Paul Brown, “Pesticide fear for fruit eaters”, in The Guardian:
      Strawberries and cream at Wimbledon next week could have an unlooked-for extra ingredient—an illegal pesticide.
  2. Not looked for, not searched for.
    • c. 1590 (date written), G P, The Old Wiues Tale. , London: Iohn Danter, for Raph Hancocke, and Iohn Hardie, , published 1595, →OCLC, [lines 290-292]:
      […] send them to the Well for the water of life: there shall they finde their fortunes unlooked for […]
    • 1722 (indicated as 1721), [Daniel Defoe], The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders, &c. , London: W Chetwood, ; and T. Edling, , published 1722, →OCLC, page 277:
      This vvas an Adventure indeed unlook’d for, and perfectly undesign’d by me; tho’ I vvas not ſo paſt the Merry part of Life, as to forget hovv to behave, vvhen a Fop ſo blinded by his Appetite ſhould not knovv an old VVoman from a young: […]

Synonyms

Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia