Phrase guide

in the wrong place at the wrong time

prep_phrase · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

prep_phrase

Meaning 1

Describing actions or activities that the speaker considers inappropriate, misdirected, or unlikely to yield good results.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: literally

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

prep_phrase

Meaning 2

At a location or in a situation by where something bad is about to happen at just the time of its occurrence by bad luck.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

4 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • German: zur falschen Zeit am falschen Ort — Translations
  • Italian: nel posto sbagliato al momento sbagliato — Translations
  • Romanian: în locul nepotrivit la momentul nepotrivit — Translations
  • Russian: не в том ме́сте не в то вре́мя (ne v tom méste ne v to vrémja) — Translations