1
as in abnormal
departing from some accepted standard of what is normal
the documentary evinces an unnatural obsession with the gruesome details of the disaster
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in strained
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
just before the debate, the candidates flashed unnatural smiles for the cameras
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 unnatural
A week ago, TikTok birthed a strange meme, proposing that the big hat that Zendaya wore back in 2014 during the Teen Vogue Young Hollywood Party contained something unnatural.
—
Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
The fairway, once groomed to unnatural perfection, is now overgrown with tall grass and wildflowers.
—Stephanie Hanes, Christian Science Monitor, 5 May 2025
Members of Pavement take part in these events, interacting with the actors who play them, attending the exhibit with an odd and unnatural sense of nostalgic wonder, and participating in a post-screening Q. & A., moderated by the real-life film programmer Jake Perlin.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 1 May 2025
Rosamund Pike is a new villain in the franchise and thus given prominent placement standing upside down like an unnatural vampire.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unnatural
Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
The fairway, once groomed to unnatural perfection, is now overgrown with tall grass and wildflowers.
—Stephanie Hanes, Christian Science Monitor, 5 May 2025
Members of Pavement take part in these events, interacting with the actors who play them, attending the exhibit with an odd and unnatural sense of nostalgic wonder, and participating in a post-screening Q. & A., moderated by the real-life film programmer Jake Perlin.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 1 May 2025
Rosamund Pike is a new villain in the franchise and thus given prominent placement standing upside down like an unnatural vampire.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unnatural
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unnatural
Adjective
-
Storm surge is defined by the National Hurricane Center as an abnormal rise of water generated by a storm.—
Mallory Nicholls,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 May 2025
-
One or more other symptoms like abnormal eye movements (nystagmus), vomiting, paleness, or fearfulness are also present.—
Colleen Doherty,
Verywell Health,
26 May 2025
Adjective
-
His strained, sandpaper-coarse timbre served as an ideal conduit for songs concerned with boisterous revelries, shady agreements, licentious intentions and musical pleasures.—
Bob Gendron,
Chicago Tribune,
25 May 2025
-
During a father-son fishing trip alongside Dawson and his dad (John Wesley Shipp), Pacey's strained relationship with his parent bubbles up.—
Jen Juneau,
People.com,
24 May 2025
Adjective
-
Take off eye makeup and false lashes before sleep as well to keep the area clean and avoid irritating the delicate tissue around the eye, Lappin said.—
Kameryn Griesser,
CNN Money,
30 May 2025
-
Their accountant filed two false corporate tax returns, claiming one of the couple’s firms earned no money in 2015 and 2016.—
Howard Gleckman,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
Two of them show up regularly in way-too-early 2026 mock drafts.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
21 May 2025
-
Say it with mock certainty and a slight smile, Callahan advises, and pause before the punchline.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
21 May 2025
Adjective
-
That development will have an artificial surfing lagoon, restaurants, shops, a 300-room hotel and up to 700 homes.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 May 2025
-
For example, the researchers who received the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics for their work in artificial neural networks — technologies that underlie tools like ChatGPT — received N.S.F. funding in the 1980s, long before their work had widespread applications.—
Aatish Bhatia,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
The pool’s mechanical room looks like the boiler room of an ocean liner — with giant tanks that purify pool water and another system that stabilizes the temperature.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2025
-
Replacement parts from companies such as Moss Motors are affordable, and anyone with basic mechanical skills can wrench on their own MG, adding a little skin—and a lot of satisfaction—into the game.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
Later, it's revealed that Phelps didn't die at all, and his fake death was a setup to frame Ethan.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
24 May 2025
-
Bad actors had cloned his voice to make fake 911 calls about emergencies at rival locations.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
The ensemble was crafted with a form-fitting silhouette and included such exaggerated elements as sharp shoulders.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
23 May 2025
-
Her ensemble also featured a black floor-length gown with exaggerated shoulders and a turquoise bow belt extending into a floor-grazing sash.—
Michelle Lee,
People.com,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unnatural.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unnatural. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share