awry

[ uh-rahy ]

adverb

1. with a turn or twist to one side; askew:

   to glance or look awry.

2. away from the expected or proper direction; amiss; wrong:

   Our plans went awry.

awry

/ əˈraɪ /

adverb

1. with a slant or twist to one side; askew
2. away from the appropriate or right course; amiss

Word History and Origins

Origin of awry¹

First recorded in 1325–75, awry is from Middle English on wry. See a- ¹, wry

Word History and Origins

Origin of awry¹

C14 on wry; see a- ², wry

Example Sentences

But, the district court “went awry in attempting to impose its own judgment about how to address those concerns.”

From Los Angeles Times

In its second weekend, “The Wild Robot,” Universal and DreamWorks adaptation of Peter Brown’s books about a shipment of household robots that goes awry, took in $6.7 million, followed by Paramount’s “Smile 2,” with $5 million.

From Los Angeles Times

That strayed into recklessness when, leading by two points with five minutes left, England's needlessly elaborate first-phase play went awry and Andrew Kellaway scooped up and sprinted in.

From BBC

As a lecture on faith and ethics gone awry, “Heretic” is a story of belief versus disbelief.

From Los Angeles Times

Team boss Toto Wolff said there was "not a fundamental issue with the upgrade" but he added that the team did not understand why their weekend had gone awry after they were competitive in sprint qualifying on Friday, when Russell was on the front row and Hamilton would have been on pole had he not encountered yellow flags on his lap.

From BBC

Related Words

• amiss
• askew
• astray
• wrong