ILL-TIMED

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does ill-timed mean? 

• ILL-TIMED (adjective)
  The adjective ILL-TIMED has 1 sense:

1. badly timed

  Familiarity information: ILL-TIMED used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ILL-TIMED (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Badly timed

Synonyms:

ill-timed; unseasonable; untimely; wrong

Context example:

it was the wrong moment for a joke

Similar:

inopportune (not opportune)

 Context examples 

He did not disturb the wretchedness of her mind by ill-timed conversation.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

In fact, it is not that I consider the ball as ill-timed; what does it signify?

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

Mr. Holmes, this joking is very ill-timed.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“So much the worse!” thought Catherine; such ill-timed exercise was of a piece with the strange unseasonableness of his morning walks, and boded nothing good.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

Holmes’s ideas of humour are strange and occasionally offensive, so I took no notice of his ill-timed jest—indeed, I had already reached Montpellier in my pursuit of the maid, Marie, before his message came.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

With such sensations, Mr. Elton's civilities were dreadfully ill-timed; but she had the comfort of appearing very polite, while feeling very cross—and of thinking that the rest of the visit could not possibly pass without bringing forward the same information again, or the substance of it, from the open-hearted Mr. Weston.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

Their gentleness, their genuine attention to other people, and their manly unstudied simplicity is much more accordant with her real disposition, than the liveliness—often artificial, and often ill-timed of the other.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

The general's early walk, ill-timed as it was in every other view, was favourable here; and when she knew him to be out of the house, she directly proposed to Miss Tilney the accomplishment of her promise.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

Sam, loud and overbearing as he was, she rather regretted when he went, for he was clever and intelligent, and glad to be employed in any errand in the town; and though spurning the remonstrances of Susan, given as they were, though very reasonable in themselves, with ill-timed and powerless warmth, was beginning to be influenced by Fanny's services and gentle persuasions; and she found that the best of the three younger ones was gone in him: Tom and Charles being at least as many years as they were his juniors distant from that age of feeling and reason, which might suggest the expediency of making friends, and of endeavouring to be less disagreeable.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

She was already greatly displeased with Mrs. Ferrars; and such ill-timed praise of another, at Elinor's expense, though she had not any notion of what was principally meant by it, provoked her immediately to say with warmth, This is admiration of a very particular kind! —what is Miss Morton to us? —who knows, or who cares, for her? —it is Elinor of whom WE think and speak.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)