unworldly
gb/ʌnwɚldli/ us/ʌnwɚldli/
C1
English
életidegen, a világ dolgaiban járatlan, földöntúli
C1
1
Usage pattern:
[someone] is unworldly; unworldly [person/attitude]
Brilliant as she was, he found her oddly unworldly about money.
Bármilyen zseniális volt is, a pénzügyekben furcsán járatlannak találta.
His unworldly optimism didn’t survive his first year in sales.
Életidegen optimizmusa nem élte túl az első évét az értékesítésben.
She seemed unworldly and trusting, as if she’d never had to bargain or argue.
Learner examples
He is unworldly and very naive.
A világ dolgaiban járatlan és nagyon naiv.
She is unworldly about business.
Járatlan az üzleti életben.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use this when they mean only “spiritual/ghostly”; in this sense it mainly means “inexperienced or not practical.”
Meaning
naive and not practical
Collocations
unworldly innocence
|unworldly idealism
|unworldly simplicity
|an unworldly scholar
|an unworldly young man
|unworldly in matters of money
|unworldly about politics
|unworldly about business
|unworldly charm
Synonyms
naive (More direct and common for lack of experience.)
|
inexperienced (Focuses on not having done things before.)
|
innocent (Suggests trusting and not cynical.)
|
impractical (Emphasizes poor fit for real-world needs.)
Antonyms
worldly (Experienced and knowledgeable about ordinary life and pleasures.)
|
sophisticated (Socially experienced and not easily shocked or fooled.)
|
practical (Focused on what works in real situations.)
Themes
personality
|social_life
Definition
not experienced in everyday life; a bit naive
Not experienced in ordinary life, money, or social matters, and therefore naïve or impractical.
C1
LITERARY
2
földöntúli
B2
Usage pattern:
unworldly [beauty/light/silence/voice]
The cave was filled with an unworldly blue light.
A barlangot földöntúli kék fény töltötte be.
Her face had an unworldly calm that made everyone lower their voices.
Az arcán olyan földöntúli nyugalom ült, hogy mindenki lehalkította a hangját.
The choir’s unworldly sound seemed to hang in the air long after they stopped singing.
Learner examples
The room had an unworldly silence.
A szobában földöntúli csend volt.
Common mistake:
Don’t confuse with “unearthly” (often stronger and more dramatic) or use it for ordinary “strange”; it usually suggests beauty, spirituality, or an eerie mood.
Meaning
strangely beautiful or eerie
Collocations
unworldly beauty
|unworldly light
|an unworldly glow
|unworldly silence
|an unworldly calm
|an unworldly voice
|unworldly music
|an unworldly atmosphere
|unworldly serenity
|unworldly stillness
Synonyms
otherworldly (Closest synonym; emphasizes not of this world.)
|
ethereal (Suggests delicate, light, and airy beauty.)
|
eerie (Focuses more on an unsettling, strange feeling.)
|
mystical (Suggests spiritual mystery or magic.)
Antonyms
ordinary (Not special or unusual.)
|
mundane (Plain and everyday, without mystery.)
|
earthly (Belonging to normal human life rather than spiritual or unreal.)
Themes
art
|literature
|emotions
Definition
very strange or magical, like from another world
Having a strange, spiritual, or unreal quality, as if not belonging to the ordinary world.
Grammar
Dictionary form
unworldly
IPA
GB/ʌnwɚldli/
US/ʌnwɚldli/
Syllables & stress
un - worldly (2 syllables)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: unworldly
Expressions
at an unworldly hour
1/ˈæt ən ʌnwɚldli ˈaʊɚ/
fixed phrase
very early or very late
at a very early (or very late) time
Examples
- We had to leave the house at an unworldly hour to catch the first flight.
- She called me at an unworldly hour, convinced she’d lost her passport.
- The bakery staff are already working at an unworldly hour.
Learner examples
- I woke up at an unworldly hour today.