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

Even with these advances, positioning signals encounter interference and other conditions that can make them go awry.

From MIT Technology Review

Instead of feeling anxious about a social interaction that went awry, looming deadlines, or any other number of anxiety-inducing events in the real world, your anxiety is now attached to the monster on the screen.

From Nautilus

More disturbing, there are signs extremists on both sides are prepared to take to the streets if they feel things have gone awry.

From Fortune

People leading up to 1800 legitimately feared something was going awry with the Democratic system and that the country was at risk of backsliding into monarchy.

From Time

Tackling it in real time in the middle of a political knife fight is almost certainly going to go awry.

From Axios

Right off the bat, papyrologist Brice C. Jones noted that something was awry.

From The Daily Beast

Or, after a surprise party greeting for Gloria goes awry, “Just a thought: maybe we should stop doing these.”

From The Daily Beast

There are technical difficulties at the funeral home and things go awry.

From The Daily Beast

But it quickly became a text-book case of marketing gone awry.

From The Daily Beast

In cases where something goes awry in this process, other structures in the brain are affected, and ASDs may result.

From The Daily Beast

She cried out as she did so, and then rising with some difficulty, immediately sat down again with her face awry.

From Project Gutenberg

For everything which goes awry she has this answer: "Well, you would get up so early!"

From Project Gutenberg

That complacent remark struck the ear awry, like the whine of a deacons report at a Sunday-school convention.

From Project Gutenberg

Hotspur, after a mad gallop, had raced back riderless to the stables, stirrups dangling and saddle awry.

From Project Gutenberg

I follow, but am not so lucky, for the next wave catches the boat awry and sluices me from neck to heel!

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• amiss
• askew
• astray
• wrong