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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in unpleasant
not giving pleasure to the mind or senses
hated the whole unsavory business of firing people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unsavory
Margot’s room is dark and dingy, more like a cell with its anti-suicide windows, and the mattress shows unsavory traces of what looks very much like blood.
—
Damon Wise, Deadline, 15 May 2026
And would the president appear — as others have at past WHCDs — to hand out awards to journalists who have done work that investigated him or the White House or revealed unsavory things about his time in it?
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 25 Apr. 2026
Despite concerns about his boorish behavior, questionable business dealings and unsavory friends, Andrew spent 10 years as Britain’s special envoy for international trade and remained a prince of the realm until the details of his relationship with Epstein were revealed last year.
—ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
There were dozens of bizarre and unsavory figures in this world, like New Kids on the Block manager turned Ponzi fraudster Lou Pearlman.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsavory
Damon Wise, Deadline, 15 May 2026
And would the president appear — as others have at past WHCDs — to hand out awards to journalists who have done work that investigated him or the White House or revealed unsavory things about his time in it?
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 25 Apr. 2026
Despite concerns about his boorish behavior, questionable business dealings and unsavory friends, Andrew spent 10 years as Britain’s special envoy for international trade and remained a prince of the realm until the details of his relationship with Epstein were revealed last year.
—ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
There were dozens of bizarre and unsavory figures in this world, like New Kids on the Block manager turned Ponzi fraudster Lou Pearlman.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsavory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsavory
Adjective
-
In his Netflix special a few years ago, Rife made a joke about domestic violence that many women found distasteful.—
Sonia Thompson,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
-
The open pursuit of money would have been distasteful to her.—
Jane Ciabattari
August 12,
Literary Hub,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Religious practitioners may also regard nonheterosexual orientations or non-cisgender identities as immoral or otherwise inconsistent with their religious beliefs.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
10 June 2026
-
Republicans, grow a spine and stop the immoral president.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
This is a fundamentally pleasant book for unpleasant times, the kind of novel in which a car breaks down and that turns out to be exactly what should have happened.—
Jacob Brogan,
The Atlantic,
11 June 2026
-
The jar’s odor wasn’t totally unpleasant, says Pederson.—
RJ Mackenzie,
Popular Science,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Flaws has a touch of Severance with its bland office setting and humor overlayed with symbolism but Reiber preferred to cite older influences.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
9 June 2026
-
Has Cannes gone soft or have the movies become bland?—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
All those unappetizing items go in your brown yard waste cart, not the black trash cart or the blue recycle cart.—
Terri Daxon,
Oc Register,
28 May 2026
-
Hook explains that for natural rind cheese, the impacts of plastic are just as unappetizing.—
Nicole Letts,
Southern Living,
24 May 2026
Adjective
-
Their primary mission is to enforce immigration laws, prevent unlawful entry into the country and investigate smuggling or trafficking.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Dec. 2025
-
The Cup teams sued NASCAR in October 2024 on the grounds that the private company was an unlawful monopoly — one that used anti-competitive practices to strengthen itself and weaken the teams.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
Usually a team of elegant offense, Michigan instead clanked 13 triples off the rim and relied on its inside defensive ferocity to win a game nearly as aesthetically unpleasing as UConn’s 53-41 win over Butler in 2011.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Specifically saying these white, thin, traditionally feminine bodies are not just aspirational but symbols of morality, tradition, purity.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
-
This game isn't in Las Vegas, this is in Sacramento, so the thin air that carried the ball out of the park the past few days is not a factor.—
David Troy OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unsavory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsavory. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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