distasteful

adjective

dis·​taste·​ful (ˌ)dis-ˈtāst-fəl How to pronounce distasteful (audio)
1
a
: objectionable because offensive to one's personal taste : unpleasant, disagreeable
found the job distasteful
a shady, distasteful character
b
: objectionable because in poor taste, inappropriate, or unethical
a harmless stroking … but it seems oddly distasteful in retrospectRichard Sandza et al.
2
: unpleasant to the taste
distasteful unripe fruit
distastefully adverb
distastefulness noun

Examples of distasteful in a Sentence

The work was distasteful, but it was the best I could find at the time. It was a distasteful subject to him.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
One former employee of UnitedHealthcare described seeing glib, distasteful messages about Mr. Thompson’s death even in a Facebook group composed largely of people who work in the industry. Reed Abelson, New York Times, 12 Dec. 2024 Fans were quick to call out Kardashian, 44, and point out the distasteful timing of these promotions, especially as people's homes were being destroyed by the flames. Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025 Euphemisms: These are words designed to deflect attention from something considered distasteful or unpleasant. Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024 This practice is second nature among veteran hunters, but can be jarring or even distasteful to some new hunters. Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 13 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for distasteful 

Word History

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of distasteful was in 1607

Dictionary Entries Near distasteful

Cite this Entry

“Distasteful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/distasteful. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

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