unenviable

adjective

un·​en·​vi·​able ˌən-ˈen-vē-ə-bəl How to pronounce unenviable (audio)
: not desirable or pleasant : not arousing envy : not enviable
an unenviable position
Kent Alterman, our director, had the unenviable task of herding cats.Will Ferrell

Examples of unenviable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Salvi’s wife, Kathy, current chair of the statewide GOP, has the unenviable task of trying to rebuild what is a feeble Republican Party in deep-blue Illinois. Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025 There’s a rich history of parties creating new jobs when exceptional talent is willing to take them on, but Stefanik already gave up a legitimately powerful position to take on that unenviable task of representing Trump on the global stage. Philip Elliott, Time, 27 Mar. 2025 That leader will face the unenviable task of getting Japan’s reform process back on track — just as Trump 2.0 does his worst to the global trade system. William Pesek, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025 Georgia Tech, on the other hand, has the unenviable task of trying to slow down this offensive juggernaut. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unenviable

Word History

First Known Use

1641, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unenviable was in 1641

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Cite this Entry

“Unenviable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unenviable. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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