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unaccountably

unaccountably

3 7.7
For no clear reason
  • adverb
  • /ˌʌnəˈkaʊntəblɪ/
translation icon : inexplicablemente
  • She felt unaccountably sad after the movie ended, even though it was a comedy.

Examples

  • The iguana, Gustav, had bitten or tried to bite Melly, and this had unaccountably terrified him.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • The storm turned unaccountably fierce, causing everyone to rush indoors.

  • As so often since February, unaccountably he was not home.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Yet the world unaccountably exists, and we as well.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Now her god was gone, and Mother Artemis was unaccountably gone too.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • The room itself, though miniature, seemed unaccountably full of space.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • I feel unaccountably relieved to see that he's smiling, if only slightly.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • But as the minutes ticked away, his musings unaccountably took a darker turn.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Corinne was unaccountably moved by the thought of her long-shared life with Gertrude.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • After a month among the Scots of clan MacKenzie, the presence of English dragoons made me unaccountably nervous.

    Fiction book (1991)

Synonyms

inexplicably
vsunaccountably
29 6.9

In a way that cannot be explained or understood

emphasizes that the reasons are not clear or apparent
incoherently
vsunaccountably
5 6.7

In a way that is not clear or logical

points to unclear reasons rather than poor structure or logic
incomprehensibly
vsunaccountably
2 8.0

It is very hard to understand

points to unclear reasons rather than sheer difficulty of understanding
unintelligibly
vsunaccountably
2 8.1

In a way that is very hard to understand

highlights unclear reasons rather than difficulty in expression
unfathomably
vsunaccountably
1 8.2

In a way that is so great it cannot be understood or believed

refers to unclear reasons rather than very great or surprising degree
unexplainably
vsunaccountably
1 6.9

In a way that people cannot understand

stresses unclear reasons rather than mere lack of explanation
inscrutably
vsunaccountably
1 9.6

In a way that hides what someone feels and is hard to understand

focuses on unclear reasons rather than a mysterious tone
confoundingly
vsunaccountably
1 8.4

In a way that is very confusing and hard to understand

signals unknown reasons rather than simply causing confusion
abstrusely
vsunaccountably
  • Formal
9.9

In a way that makes something hard to understand

refers to unclear reasons rather than technical obscurity
indecipherably
vsunaccountably
8.5

So unclear that people cannot read or understand it

refers to unexplained reasons rather than literal illegibility
undecipherably
vsunaccountably
9.8

In a way people cannot read or understand

means unexplained causes rather than unreadable or garbled form

Antonyms

In a way that shows someone is responsible and explains their actions

How Explainable

oddly
150 3.4
mysteriously
67 4.6
unaccountably
3 7.7
inexplicably
29 6.9

Surface Forms

unaccountably positive
unaccountablyer comparative
unaccountablyest superlative

Morphology

unaccountably = unaccountable (transparent) = un + account + able + ly

Standard adverbial formation from the adjective 'unaccountable' using the productive suffix '-ly', so the step is directly predictable.

Etymology

Unaccountably comes from parts you know: un- 'not', account 'to give an explanation or report', -able 'able', and -ly 'in this way'. So, something that happens unaccountably happens 'not able to be explained' — it occurs for reasons you cannot understand.