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unawares

 - 3 dictionary results

un⋅a⋅wares

  [uhn-uh-wairz]
Use unawares in a Sentence
–adverb
1. while not aware or conscious of a thing oneself; unknowingly or inadvertently.
2. without warning; by surprise; suddenly; unexpectedly: to come upon someone unawares.
Origin:
1525–35; unaware + -s 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To unawares
un·a·wares   (ŭn'ə-wârz')   
adv.  

  1. By surprise; unexpectedly: "Sorrow comes to all, and to the young it comes with bittered agony because it takes them unawares" (Abraham Lincoln).

  2. Without forethought or plan. See Usage Note at unaware.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

unawares 
1535, "without being aware," from un- (1) "not" + aware + adverbial genitive -s. Meaning "without being noticed" is recorded from 1667. Form unaware is recorded from 1592.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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