premature

adjective

ˌprē-mə-ˈchu̇r How to pronounce premature (audio)
Definition of prematurenext
as in early
occurring before the usual or expected time his premature arrival at his own surprise party almost ruined everything

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of premature The brand uses tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, a gentle, stabilized form of vitamin C that brightens and protects against premature aging. — Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 4 July 2026 Hopkins pounced when Larson welcomed questions, suggesting the press conference was premature, given that the congressman had no precise information about why Cecunjanin had been detained. — Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 29 June 2026 Even under the baseline 2025 scenario, the US and other wealthy nations should see a 50 percent reduction in premature deaths and a slightly greater reduction in pediatric asthma cases. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 30 June 2026 Fine particle pollution has also been linked to more serious health consequences, including heart attacks, stroke, lung cancer and premature death, according to the American Lung Association. — Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for premature
Recent Examples of Synonyms for premature
  1. early
  2. untimely
  3. unexpected
  4. sudden
  5. precocious
  6. inopportune
Adjective
  • All that to say, a glass of rye whiskey, one of the oldest drinks in America and the original base of many of our earliest cocktails like Manhattans and Old Fashioneds, is an easy way to honor the scrappy American spirit.
    — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 4 July 2026
  • Heck, the city almost lost out on Messi altogether, with Argentina barely escaping Cape Verde in an early knockout match Friday night.
    — Sam McDowell Updated July 3, Kansas City Star, 4 July 2026
Definition of early
Adjective
  • The Kansas City Royals continue to be hamstrung untimely departures.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2026
  • By the time season 6 rolled around, plenty of characters — major and minor — had met their untimely ends.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 3 July 2026
Definition of untimely
Adjective
  • Artisan Market Thoughtful, small-batch cookies made with intention and inspired by unexpected flavors.
    — RS Editors, Rolling Stone, 2 July 2026
  • And while many know Mariska Hargitay from her decades-long run on Law & Order or as one of the Knicks' biggest hype women, she can also be considered among fashion's unexpected trendsetters.
    — Amanda Le, InStyle, 2 July 2026
Definition of unexpected
Adjective
  • Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.
    — CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 4 July 2026
  • Small Holes One sign of snakes in your garden could be the sudden appearance of small holes that could be about the size of a small coin, or up to two inches.
    — Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 3 July 2026
Definition of sudden
Adjective
  • That precocious talent combines with her naturally confident disposition to create one fiery competitor.
    — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • Photograph by Sébastien Leban for TIME France A talent out of the ordinary, precocious beyond doubt… Kylian Mbappé has all the qualities of a sage who seems to have already lived nearly everything by the age of 27.
    — TIME, Time, 26 June 2026
Definition of precocious
Adjective
  • These headwinds are particularly inopportune for the spring market, traditionally the busiest for the housing sector.
    — John Kell, Fortune, 24 June 2026
  • Golden State played uncharacteristically, giving up open shots and turning the ball over at inopportune times.
    — Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 18 June 2026
Definition of inopportune

Browse Nearby Words

premarital
premature
prematurely
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Premature.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/premature. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on premature

Nglish: Translation of premature for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All