unnatural

Everyday

1. Unnatural means not natural; made by people or different from what usually happens in nature. tree →
2. Unnatural means strange, odd or not normal, like an unnatural silence or colour. tree →
3. Unnatural behaviour is forced or false, not relaxed. tree →
4. Unnatural can also describe someone who is cruel in a way that goes against normal love and kindness, such as a parent who harms their own children. tree →

In the lessons

In science: unnatural colours in food come from dyes; unnatural things are made by people (synthetic). In stories it signals something creepy: «an unnatural silence», «an unnatural glow». In drama lessons: an unnatural voice sounds forced.

Examples

• The sweets were an unnatural bright green. tree →
• An unnatural silence fell over the forest. tree →
• Her smile in the photo looked unnatural. tree →
• Keeping a parrot alone all day is unnatural for it. tree →
• The lake glowed with an unnatural light. tree →
• Try to speak naturally – shouting every line sounds unnatural. tree →
• In all of them, the heroine is a princess, who runs away from an unnatural father. tree →

Note

Spelling: double n – «un-» + «natural». Careful: «natural» does not always mean safe, and «unnatural» does not always mean bad.