unnaturally
/ʌnˈnætʃrəli/ (bre, ipa) · [ənnˈætʃɚəli] /ʌnˈnætʃrəli/ (ame, ipa) · [ənnˈætʃɚəli] /ˌən-ˈna-chə-rəl How to pronounce unnatural (audio) -ˈnach-rəl/ (ame, mw)
unnaturally — adverb
1. happening or existing in a manner that strays far from what people expect as nor
happening or existing in a manner that strays far from what people expect as normal, often causing surprise or concern
The village lay unnaturally silent after the storm moved out to sea.
unnaturally silent — modifying state adjective
Sahil noticed that the tap water felt unnaturally warm for a January morning.
unnaturally warm for [time] — comparison pattern
Minho sat unnaturally still at the dinner table, not touching his food while his parents argued.
Ziad thought the silence in the library was unnaturally deep, as if everyone were holding their breath.
The garden produced unnaturally large tomatoes, which the neighbors found quite strange.
- abnormally
more clinical tone, used in medical/scientific contexts
- strangely
softer, less formal; focuses on oddity rather than deviation from nature
- unusually
softer than unnaturally; just different from what is typical
文法句型
unnaturally + adjective
verb + unnaturally
用法筆記
Frequently paired with adjectives describing state or condition, such as silent, quiet, still, calm, warm, cold, large. The adverb adds a sense that the state is surprising or worrying.
常見錯誤
2. in a way that does not seem genuine or relaxed, because the person is trying too
in a way that does not seem genuine or relaxed, because the person is trying too hard to create a particular impression
Tamar smiled unnaturally when her manager mentioned the budget cuts in the meeting.
smiled unnaturally — forced facial expression
The actor spoke his lines unnaturally, pausing at odd moments and exaggerating every word.
Jiwoo laughed unnaturally at the director's joke to hide her discomfort about the project delay.
The children bowed unnaturally toward their guests, clearly reciting a script their parents had taught them.
Sofia behaved unnaturally during the interview, using big words that she never uses in normal conversation.
- affectedly
more formal; describes a deliberate, artificial manner
- pretentiously
implies trying to seem more important or cultured than one is
- forcedly
less common; describes effort without natural ease
文法句型
verb + unnaturally
用法筆記
Describes behavior or speech that feels rehearsed or insincere. The subject is usually a person, and the verb is a communication or behavior verb (smile, laugh, speak, behave, act, bow).
常見錯誤
unnaturally — adjective
- unnaturallypositive
- more unnaturallycomparative
- most unnaturallysuperlative
1. happening or existing in a way that does not happen in the natural world and see
happening or existing in a way that does not happen in the natural world and seems to break the laws of nature
The plant had an unnatural blue color that no amount of sunlight could explain.
unnatural + color — appearance that defies nature
Amani found it unnatural for snow to fall in the middle of a desert summer.
find it unnatural + for [noun] to [verb]
The glow coming from the abandoned building had an eerie, unnatural brightness.
Scientists struggled to explain the unnatural pattern of the rock formations in the valley.
- supernatural
implies forces beyond nature (magic, gods, spirits); stronger than unnatural
- abnormal
more scientific/clinical; describes statistical rarity rather than defying nature
- freak
informal; describes a one-time strange event
- natural
the direct opposite; occurring in nature
文法句型
unnatural + noun
be + unnatural
用法筆記
Often describes physical phenomena, colors, sounds, or appearances that cannot be explained by natural processes. Related to but distinct from 'supernatural', which implies spiritual or magical forces.
常見錯誤
2. so far outside what people would typically feel or do that it seems disturbing o
so far outside what people would typically feel or do that it seems disturbing or wrong
Sven thought it was unnatural for a parent to show no interest in their child's school life.
it is unnatural + for [person] to [verb]
The judge called the defendant's lack of emotion during the trial deeply unnatural.
Trang found it unnatural that her neighbor never once complained about the construction noise next door.
The therapist said it was unnatural for someone to feel no sadness after losing a loved one.
文法句型
unnatural + noun
it is unnatural + to-infinitive
it is unnatural + that-clause
用法筆記
Describes behavior or reactions that violate basic human emotional norms. Distinguish from sense 1 (AGAINST NATURE), which describes physical/natural-world phenomena. This sense refers to human psychology and social behavior.
常見錯誤
3. behaving, speaking, or performing in a forced way that lacks ease and feels arti
behaving, speaking, or performing in a forced way that lacks ease and feels artificial rather than genuine
The actress's unnatural accent made it hard for the audience to take her performance seriously.
unnatural accent — forced or learned, not natural
Wren found the CEO's unnatural cheerfulness suspicious, given the company's recent losses.
The politician's unnatural smile during the debate looked more like a pained grimace.
Stephanie's unnatural way of speaking, with every sentence rising at the end, annoyed her classmates.
- affected
direct synonym; describes put-on mannerisms
- forced
describes effort without natural ease
- contrived
describes something that feels planned rather than spontaneous
- artificial
broader; can apply to objects or behavior
文法句型
unnatural + noun (manner/voice/way)
用法筆記
Focuses on style, manner, and presentation — unlike sense 2 (ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR), which judges whether actions are morally/socially normal. This sense criticizes the artificiality of the performance or manner itself.
常見錯誤
4. going far beyond what is reasonable, fair, or expected in a given situation
going far beyond what is reasonable, fair, or expected in a given situation
Aaron thought it was unnatural for a landlord to demand six months' rent in advance from new tenants.
it is unnatural + for [person] to [verb] — unexpected/unfair demand
The committee found it unnatural that a qualified candidate was rejected without any explanation.
Nala considered the exam's difficulty unnatural for students who had only studied for one semester.
The punishment seemed unnatural for a minor mistake that hurt no one.
- outrageous
stronger; implies moral shock or anger
- unreasonable
more neutral; describes lack of fairness
- excessive
describes quantity or degree that goes beyond what is acceptable
- reasonable
fair and appropriate for the situation
- expected
within the range of what people would normally anticipate
文法句型
unnatural + noun
it is unnatural + that-clause
用法筆記
Describes situations, demands, or outcomes that are disproportionately severe or unfair. Often used in contexts of rules, punishments, prices, expectations, or treatment of people. Closely related to 'unreasonable' but carries a stronger emotional charge.