unpredictably
- adverb
- /ˌʌnprɪˈdɪktəbli/
- Her moods shift unpredictably, making it hard to know how she will react.
- vary unpredictably
- change unpredictably
- occur unpredictably
Pendulum sitting on another pendulum moves unpredictably once you let them go.
- Pendulum sitting on another pendulum moves unpredictably once you let them go.
- So the whole goal is to loosen those knots and it happens slowly, it happens unpredictably, and it takes a long time.
Examples
-
Moreover, each school context is dynamic, changing significantly and unpredictably across and within school years.
Academic text (2013) -
The existence of therapy for a disease that was previously considered unpredictably degenerative with no treatment is encouraging.
Academic text (2005) -
And also he would unpredictably get very, very angry and get very scary.
-
Be consistent about when you arrive at class, but always finish the class slightly but unpredictably early.
Academic text (1999) -
Every now and then, unpredictably, they returned to me, settling on my face, my hands, taking off again.
Fiction book (2001) -
Meanwhile, the poor will continue to fashion their world: with difficulty, unpredictably, creatively.
Academic text (1996) -
So the whole goal is to loosen those knots and it happens slowly, it happens unpredictably, and it takes a long time.
-
Each line whips unpredictably like an uncontrolled garden hose with the water turned on full.
Fiction book (2000) -
Unlike the train, the Bentley rumbled unpredictably along the uneven roads, the soft swings bouncing this way and that.
Fiction book (1995) -
The weather can change unpredictably, so always carry an umbrella.
Synonyms
In a way that has no clear plan or order
Happening without any warning
By chance, without any plan or order
In a way that has no clear reason or plan
In a way that is not regular or easy to predict
In a way that is not planned or organized
Happens at different times and not in a steady way
In a way that changes suddenly for no clear reason
In a way that no one could see coming
In a way people do not expect
Antonyms
How Predictable
Surface Forms
Morphology
unpredictably = unpredictable (transparent) = un + predict + able + ly
Formed by adding the productive adverbial suffix '-ly' to the adjective 'unpredictable', so the final step is a direct and regular derivation.
Etymology
Unpredictably breaks into parts that show its meaning: un- 'not', pre- 'before' plus dict 'say', and -ly 'in a way'. So, something that happens unpredictably is something you could not 'say before', which is why it is unexpected or hard to guess.