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
Off-screen, Ashford, who portrays Jesperson’s daughter, Melissa G. Moore, has dealt with her 8-year-old son Jack making some unsavory discoveries of his own.
—
Dana Rose Falcone, People.com, 19 Mar. 2025
Some will respond that the CCP yet again has unsavory qualities that make expansion in China unsavory.
—John Tamny, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025
In the pitch, the unsavory characters keeping the animals in captivity get their just desserts when these ultimate predators break free and team up for revenge.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 7 Feb. 2025
In those days the Everglades were seen as Florida’s ghastly backyard, a region of fearsome reptiles and unsavory characters.
—Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsavory
Dana Rose Falcone, People.com, 19 Mar. 2025
Some will respond that the CCP yet again has unsavory qualities that make expansion in China unsavory.
—John Tamny, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025
In the pitch, the unsavory characters keeping the animals in captivity get their just desserts when these ultimate predators break free and team up for revenge.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 7 Feb. 2025
In those days the Everglades were seen as Florida’s ghastly backyard, a region of fearsome reptiles and unsavory characters.
—Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsavory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsavory
Adjective
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Boycotts potentially reduce profitability and can be effective ways to address the distasteful politics of a company’s leadership.—
Kwame Anthony Appiah,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
-
That might be because the first task for a CDU government would be forming a coalition, a process requiring grueling negotiations with left-wing parties because the party vows not to work with the AfD, finding their second-place rivals too distasteful for cooperation.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Firms carrying out an immoral contract in court may face other discipline.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2025
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This legislation made its way through Congress back then in part because there was societal acceptance of the false belief that the Chinese were immutably immoral and threatening.—
Agustina Vergara Cid,
Oc Register,
30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
As horrible, unpleasant, miserable this work was, people had the most wonderful spirit.—
Ari Daniel,
Smithsonian Magazine,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Euphemisms are designed to obfuscate unpleasant truths.—
Zachariah Mampilly,
Foreign Affairs,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Gigantic and often bland, the squash filled our grocery carts and vexed our dull knives for too many years.—
Alex Beggs,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
8 Apr. 2025
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Then there are interviews, scoops, and other kinds of highly specific reporting; a reporter might labor for months to unearth new information, only for A.I. to hoover it up and fold it into some bland summary.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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That's an unappetizing reality for a mayor whose transportation referendum, which was widely approved by voters, just raised the city's sales tax rate.—
Nate Rau,
Axios,
17 Mar. 2025
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Will the members of that unappetizing quartet turn out to be harbingers of Conquest, War, Famine, and Death?—
airmail.news,
airmail.news,
15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Federal workers, migrants and transgender troops are among the groups arguing that Trump’s policies are unlawful and will cause irreversible harm if not blocked.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
5 Apr. 2025
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In January, a federal appeals court declared DACA unlawful, but kept the policy in place.—
Nidia Cavazos,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Smears on non-sensor areas of the tiara are like bug debris on your hood, aesthetically unpleasing but not harmful.—
Eric Tegler,
Popular Mechanics,
1 Oct. 2019
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His side's inability to finish off the game against Burnley on the other hand was very unpleasing.—
SI.com,
SI.com,
1 Feb. 2018
Adjective
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The water pressure then causes the vehicle to rise and slide on a thin layer of water between the tires and the road, making the driver lose control.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2025
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Despite the fact that most people in the United States are plus-size, thin actors are still meant to to be stand-ins for the average American viewer.—
Virgie Tovar,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unsavory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsavory. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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