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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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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of unsavory
Disclaimer tells the story of a successful documentarian, Catherine (Blanchett), whose elegant life is upended by the arrival of a novel on her doorstep that seems to be telling the story of an unsavory chapter from her past.
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Emma Specter, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2024
Things got even worse when Hilton was seen laughing while pretending to take a call as her friend, Brandon Davis, said unsavory things about Lohan to the paparazzi, reports E!
—Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 30 Oct. 2024
Electoral headlines for the past few weeks have been unsavory.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2024
Another and more jeopardizing concern is that guides might contain unsavory or out-of-sorts indications.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unsavory 
Emma Specter, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2024
Things got even worse when Hilton was seen laughing while pretending to take a call as her friend, Brandon Davis, said unsavory things about Lohan to the paparazzi, reports E!
—Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 30 Oct. 2024
Electoral headlines for the past few weeks have been unsavory.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2024
Another and more jeopardizing concern is that guides might contain unsavory or out-of-sorts indications.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unsavory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsavory
Adjective
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Second, the refusal to see how profoundly distasteful so much of modern liberalism has become to so much of America.Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
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Some social media users found Elba's casting as Okonkwo distasteful, as his ethnic heritage excludes Nigerian descent, particularly Igbo descent.Ime Ekpo, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2024
Adjective
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This term was derived from bawd, which referred to someone who encouraged immoral or promiscuous behavior, particularly a procuress or pimp.Erik Kain, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024
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Some senior officers mistakenly believe that the military is obligated to resist orders that are unethical or immoral.Peter D. Feaver, Foreign Affairs, 13 Sep. 2024
Adjective
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Her pregnancies are painful and unpleasant, especially compared to Lenù’s.Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
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One way to avoid unpleasant surprises is to keep your restaurant order simple.Sarah Garone, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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So while the photography is lovely and the horses are impressive, the show devolves into hour after hour of similar scenes and bland drama.Noel Murray, Vulture, 18 Nov. 2024
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Leaning too heavily on AI often leads to efforts that can seem technical and impersonal, full of bland phrasing and generic messaging.Antony Robinson, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Understandably, vowing to eat each morning can be cumbersome when options are slim or seemingly unappetizing.Kody Boye, USA TODAY, 17 Oct. 2024
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Additionally, sometimes the flour in the batter oxidizes, which can turn the batter an unappetizing gray color.Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 13 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Court documents show a Maricopa County Superior Court grand jury indicted Jeffrey Michael Kelly on Oct. 29 on four counts of unlawful use of an infectious biological substance or radiological agent.Perry Vandell, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
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Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner sued Musk and America PAC over the offer, calling it an unlawful lottery under Pennsylvania law and leading to Monday’s court hearing.David Ingram, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2024
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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Those efforts nonetheless take up many hours of screen time, and are padded out by even thinner material like Willis’ friend Fatty (Ronny Chieng) accidentally drawing crowds to Golden Palace by being overly rude to white patrons — a one-note joke sustained for too many beats.Alison Herman, Variety, 19 Nov. 2024
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Rule 2: Modulate your own expectations, too Setting personal boundaries about budget and how many people to buy for can help gift-givers avoid stretching themselves too thin.Melinda Fakuade, Vox, 18 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near unsavory
Cite this Entry
“Unsavory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsavory. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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