unsavory
adjective
un·sa·vory
ˌən-ˈsā-və-rē 
-ˈsāv-rē
2
a
: unpleasant to taste or smell
b
: disagreeable, distasteful
an unsavory assignment
especially
: morally offensive
unsavory business practices
Synonyms
Examples of unsavory in a Sentence
He is an unsavory character.
an unsavory blend of spices that simply overwhelmed the fish's delicate flavor
Recent Examples on the Web
The case will bend on whether jurors believe Cohen despite his unsavory past.
—
TIME, 17 May 2024
Nobody loves going for a dip and seeing instead an unsavory combination of leaves and debris.
—Grace Smith, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 May 2024
Later in the season, Deborah is being profiled by a magazine when some unsavory, racist material from her past resurfaces online.
—J Wortham, New York Times, 12 May 2024
And when his former leading man, Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), accidentally kills Colt’s replacement stunt man, Ryder and his unsavory producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham) hatch a plan to make Colt the literal fall guy.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 May 2024
That means the toothpaste isn’t just covering up bad breath with a strong minty flavor but fighting unsavory smells at the source.
—Isabella Ubaldi, Verywell Health, 19 Apr. 2024
A far cry from the trendy neighborhood seen in films and TV shows today, the area is home to some of the Big Apple’s most unsavory citizens.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024
As a violent crimes prosecutor, Mr. Blanche was responsible for handling a variety of unsavory cooperating witnesses, including drug dealers and murderers.
—Alan Feuer, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Gambling on sports was once difficult and unsavory, but in the last five years, since the Supreme Court struck down a federal law prohibiting states from legalizing sports betting, the zone has been absolutely flooded by apps.
—Corbin Smith, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2024
TIME, 17 May 2024
Nobody loves going for a dip and seeing instead an unsavory combination of leaves and debris.
—Grace Smith, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 May 2024
Later in the season, Deborah is being profiled by a magazine when some unsavory, racist material from her past resurfaces online.
—J Wortham, New York Times, 12 May 2024
And when his former leading man, Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), accidentally kills Colt’s replacement stunt man, Ryder and his unsavory producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham) hatch a plan to make Colt the literal fall guy.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 May 2024
That means the toothpaste isn’t just covering up bad breath with a strong minty flavor but fighting unsavory smells at the source.
—Isabella Ubaldi, Verywell Health, 19 Apr. 2024
A far cry from the trendy neighborhood seen in films and TV shows today, the area is home to some of the Big Apple’s most unsavory citizens.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024
As a violent crimes prosecutor, Mr. Blanche was responsible for handling a variety of unsavory cooperating witnesses, including drug dealers and murderers.
—Alan Feuer, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Gambling on sports was once difficult and unsavory, but in the last five years, since the Supreme Court struck down a federal law prohibiting states from legalizing sports betting, the zone has been absolutely flooded by apps.
—Corbin Smith, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unsavory.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near unsavory
Cite this Entry
“Unsavory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsavory. Accessed 20 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unsavory
adjective
un·sa·vory
ˌən-ˈsāv(-ə)-rē
ˈən-
1
: having little or no taste
2
: having a bad taste or smell
3
: morally bad
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