adj · 3 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.
US:/ʌnˈhɛɹəldɪd/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:AH0 N HH EH1 R AH0 L D IH0 D
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Without prior warning; unexpected or unannounced.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Not greeted with excitement or acclaim.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective satellite
Meaning 3
without warning or announcement- M.A.D.Howe
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
they arrived unannounced
a totally unheralded telegram that his daughter...died last night
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: unannounced, unpredicted
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- English heralded English unheralded From un- + heralded.
Across languages
Translations
20 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Catalan:
inesperat
— Without prior warning; unexpected or unannounced
Dutch:
onverwacht
— Without prior warning; unexpected or unannounced
Dutch:
onaangekondigd
— Without prior warning; unexpected or unannounced
Finnish:
odottamaton
— Without prior warning; unexpected or unannounced
French:
sans tambour ni trompette
— Without prior warning; unexpected or unannounced
French:
sans préavis
— Without prior warning; unexpected or unannounced
Georgian:
გაუფრთხილებლად
(gauprtxileblad)
— Without prior warning; unexpected or unannounced
German:
unerwartet
— Without prior warning; unexpected or unannounced
Italian:
senza avviso previo
— Without prior warning; unexpected or unannounced
Macedonian:
ненајавен
(nenajaven)
— Without prior warning; unexpected or unannounced
Polish:
nieoczekiwany
— Without prior warning; unexpected or unannounced
Romanian:
neașteptat
— Without prior warning; unexpected or unannounced
Romanian:
neprevăzut
— Without prior warning; unexpected or unannounced
Romanian:
intempestiv
— Without prior warning; unexpected or unannounced
Russian:
необъявленный
(neobʺjavlennyj)
— Without prior warning; unexpected or unannounced
Spanish:
no anunciado
— Without prior warning; unexpected or unannounced
Spanish:
sin expectativa
— Without prior warning; unexpected or unannounced
Spanish:
inesperado
— Without prior warning; unexpected or unannounced
Swedish:
oväntad
— Without prior warning; unexpected or unannounced
Swedish:
oannonserad
— Without prior warning; unexpected or unannounced
