unsavory

adjective

ˌən-ˈsā-və-rē How to pronounce unsavory (audio)
Definition of unsavorynext
1
as in distasteful
disagreeable or disgusting to the sense of taste an unsavory blend of spices that simply overwhelmed the fish's delicate flavor

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in immoral
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable unsavory doings that ruined the couple's good name in the community

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3
as in unpleasant
not giving pleasure to the mind or senses hated the whole unsavory business of firing people

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4
as in bland
lacking in taste or flavor the unsavory food dished up at the rest area's restaurant should be consumed only by the truly desperate

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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 unsavory The goal of providing that commentary is to assure the market that the CFO switch isn’t related to anything unsavory happening with the accounting book. — Zev Fima,kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 28 June 2026 The number of drivers getting caught in unsavory circumstances in the backcountry has also increased in recent years, leading to more rescues. — Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 25 June 2026 Ensuring that the everyday coat of crumbs, pet hair, and any other unsavory particulate has been removed is essential. — Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 22 June 2026 Daemon dispatches some unsavory, not overly bright fellows to break into the castle at King's Landing to kill Aemond. — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 20 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for unsavory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsavory
  1. distasteful
  2. immoral
  3. unpleasant
  4. bland
  5. unappetizing
  6. unlawful
  7. unpleasing
  8. thin
Adjective
  • For some, evoking death and sacrifice was perplexing and distasteful; a step too far.
    — Harry Booth, Time, 17 July 2026
  • South Florida beaches have been inundated by waves of sargassum in recent weeks — while visually distasteful to some, the seaweed is not usually harmful to humans, and occupies a critical niche in marine ecosystems.
    — Sarah Perkel, USA Today, 16 June 2026
Definition of distasteful
Adjective
  • Some rabbinic readings attribute Lot’s hesitation to leave Sodom to his immoral greed and inordinate wealth.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026
  • Court records show that 60-year-old Bradley Kyle Martin, of Dearborn Heights, is charged with using a computer or internet to communicate with another person to commit a crime and accosting children for immoral purposes.
    — DeJanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 25 June 2026
Definition of immoral
Adjective
  • Combined with massaging seats, powerful climate control and extensive sound insulation, the technology turns an unpleasant commute into something approaching a sensory deprivation chamber.
    — Karl Brauer, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • Chief on consumers' minds is cyclosporiasis, an unpleasant intestinal illness caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, which has recently dominated headlines amid a tidal wave of cases.
    — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 28 July 2026
Definition of unpleasant
Adjective
  • This current trend is a direct result of the design industry’s desire to banish the bland, boring, and non-committal interior trends of yesteryear in favor of mosaics that feel anything but.
    — Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 July 2026
  • Meanwhile taco seasoning, the aforementioned green chiles, and pimientos protect against the dish being bland.
    — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 24 July 2026
Definition of bland
Adjective
  • Unfortunately, that also unleashed endless talk, not only about restaurants, but also about diets, nutrition, gastric symptoms, preferences, prohibitions and other unappetizing subjects.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 27 July 2026
  • Both chains suffered from serving food that appeared both inauthentic and unappetizing, unable to compete with local offerings.
    — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 15 July 2026
Definition of unappetizing
Adjective
  • The 15-year-old is being held on suspicion of three counts of first-degree assault and one count of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.
    — Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 28 July 2026
  • California Secretary of State Shirley Weber voiced support for the bill in a statement and said the nation’s elections must remain free from intimidation and unlawful interference from any source.
    — Alula Alderson, Sacbee.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of unlawful
Adjective
  • The identity of the unpleasing Lindsay Marriott’s slayer has no pressing interest.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
  • The remarks not only referred to the aesthetics of the game – tedious matches devoid of skillful merit that were unpleasing to watch.
    — Cesar R. Torres, The Conversation, 26 May 2026
Definition of unpleasing
Adjective
  • Somehow director Sam Hargrave and writer David Coggeshall have turned that thinnest of concepts into a feature-length action comedy film for Apple TV.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 26 July 2026
  • Catcher Liam Hicks could also profile as an attractive piece, particularly as the catching market is thin.
    — Johnny Flores Jr, New York Times, 26 July 2026
Definition of thin

Browse Nearby Words

unsatisfied
unsavory
unsay
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Cite this Entry

“Unsavory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsavory. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

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