What does awry mean?
Awry is an adjective and adverb describing things that have become twisted, crooked, or askew — and, more commonly, plans or situations that have gone wrong. Literally, a painting might hang awry on a wall or a hat sit awry on someone's head; figuratively, a carefully laid plan may go awry, meaning it has failed or unfolded in an unintended way. This second sense dominates modern usage, almost always appearing in the phrase 'to go awry'. Derived from the Middle English phrase 'on wry' (twisted), the word ultimately traces back to Old English 'wrigian', meaning to turn or twist, making it a relative of 'wry', 'wrench', and 'wrinkle'. Slightly formal but widely understood, awry adds precision and a touch of elegance to descriptions of things gone off-course, which keeps it a favourite of writers and journalists alike.
Crooked, twisted, or askew; not in the intended position or direction.
"The sign hung awry above the shop door, tilted noticeably to one side."
In a way that is askew or away from the correct position; or so as to go wrong.
"The negotiations quickly went awry once both sides refused to compromise."
'Awry' comes from the Old English 'wry' — twisted — the same ancient root that gives us 'wrinkle', 'wrench', and even 'wrath': all words about things bent out of shape.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of awry
Awry originated as a Middle English phrase, from 'a-' (on) plus 'wry', meaning twisted or crooked. 'Wry' itself derives from the Old English verb 'wrigian', meaning to turn or bend, which shares a common Germanic root with words like 'wrench' and 'wrinkle'. First used literally to describe physical twisting or misalignment, it gradually acquired its dominant figurative sense of things going wrong, particularly in the now-standard phrase 'to go awry'.
How awry is actually used
Awry functions as both an adjective ('an awry smile') and an adverb ('the picture hung awry'). By far its most common use today is in the fixed expression 'go awry'. The word carries a slightly literary or formal tone compared with everyday alternatives like 'wrong' or 'off track', but it appears freely in journalism and general prose. It has no comparative or superlative forms.
Easily confused with awry
Array is a noun meaning an ordered arrangement of things, whereas awry means crooked or gone wrong; they share letters but nothing in meaning.