1
as in abrupt
being or characterized by direct, brief, and potentially rude speech or manner
my polite request was met with an unceremonious refusal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in informal
not rigidly following established form, custom, or rules
her unceremonious approach to her hosting duties puts party guests immediately at ease
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 unceremonious
An unceremonious dumping ground for the sort of horror movies most people can live without, Q1 has long functioned as a graveyard for the genre.
—
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 1 Apr. 2026
No single unceremonious strangling of a potential project has created this issue, but all of them in sum have led us here.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 27 Feb. 2026
No single moment better illustrates this neglect than the unceremonious and unilateral cancellation of Baltimore’s east-west Red Line in 2015 by a governor who openly favored roads over rail and brushed aside decades of planning and more than a billion dollars in federal investment.
—Brandon Scott, Baltimore Sun, 25 Feb. 2026
Paul is a 12-time All-Star and a franchise legend for the Clippers, which is why this unceremonious end was hard to fathom for fans.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unceremonious
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 1 Apr. 2026
No single unceremonious strangling of a potential project has created this issue, but all of them in sum have led us here.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 27 Feb. 2026
No single moment better illustrates this neglect than the unceremonious and unilateral cancellation of Baltimore’s east-west Red Line in 2015 by a governor who openly favored roads over rail and brushed aside decades of planning and more than a billion dollars in federal investment.
—Brandon Scott, Baltimore Sun, 25 Feb. 2026
Paul is a 12-time All-Star and a franchise legend for the Clippers, which is why this unceremonious end was hard to fathom for fans.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unceremonious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unceremonious
Adjective
-
Australian restaurant chain Guzman y Gomez’s attempt to build a burrito empire in the Chicago area came to an abrupt halt Friday when the company closed all eight locations, including one in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood.—
Brian J. Rogal,
Chicago Tribune,
22 May 2026
-
Use boulders to soften the abrupt transition between hardscape and greenery.—
Marisa Suzanne Martin,
The Spruce,
21 May 2026
Adjective
-
The mayor and city’s deputy mayor attended the main chamber event where the mayor gave his address, while the three other council members — O’Hara, Shaffer and San Antonio — attended the informal mixer portion, but were directed to leave before the main dinner gala occurred.—
Barbara Henry,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 May 2026
-
Iraq’s oil sales fueled much of its $94 billion in revenues in 2025, yet little trickles down to the millions who eke out in a precarious informal sector, with little protection and meager pay.—
Nabil Salih,
Time,
26 May 2026
Adjective
-
Readers who prefer blunt, personal storytelling over polished self-help formulas won’t.—
Brandon Kochkodin,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
-
Her blunt, eventual tough-love assessment of Raúl’s block is game-changing.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
Not wanting to formally plan anything for his proposal, Foley decided to take an unconventional route.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
22 May 2026
-
While some of the fall 2026 shoes were wardrobe classics, like a pair of black penny loafers and Lively’s pointed-toe pumps, others styles were more unconventional featuring striking shape, feather details, animal prints and more.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
Living for today, everyone apparently agreed, was characteristic of a youth culture that was dropping out from a system and society responsible for cutting life short both at home and abroad.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
-
In previous cases, humans exposed to the product have reported both short and long-term respiratory effects.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
25 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unceremonious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unceremonious. Accessed 29 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
