untoward (adj.)
1520s, "not having inclination" (to or for something), also "difficult to manage, unruly," from un- (1) "not" + toward (adj.).
What is the origin of the word untoward?
We inherited “toward” from the Old English “toweard,” which was a combination of “to” and “weard,” which came from a prehistoric Germanic root meaning “to turn,” and which we know today as a suffix used to mean “in the direction of,” as in “homeward” and “backward.”
What does untoward mean?
1 : difficult to guide, manage, or work with : unruly, intractable. 2a : marked by trouble or unhappiness : unlucky. b : not favorable : adverse, unpropitious untoward side effects. 3 : improper, indecorous.
