unceremonious

adjective

un·​cer·​e·​mo·​ni·​ous ˌən-ˌser-ə-ˈmō-nē-əs How to pronounce unceremonious (audio)
1
: not ceremonious : informal
2
: abrupt, rude
an unceremonious dismissal
unceremoniously adverb
unceremoniousness noun

Examples of unceremonious in a Sentence

His unceremonious dismissal by the new boss surprised everybody. my polite request was met with an unceremonious refusal
Recent Examples on the Web In a move so swift and unceremonious even regular observers of Congress needed to pay close attention, Republican Rep. Patrick McHenry became the new speaker pro tempore, moments after Kevin McCarthy was ousted from the speakership. Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 4 Oct. 2023 The unceremonious end of Robert Everett’s decades-long career as a pioneering wildlife rehabilitator came without warning recently as state investigators appeared suddenly at his San Dimas home. Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2023 The Entertainment Software Association confirmed today that the event will not be happening in 2024 or any time thereafter, bringing 28 years of the video game industry’s most prolific trade event to a sudden, unceremonious end. Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 12 Dec. 2023 But Punk’s jaw-dropping Survivor Series return is re-writing WWE’s social media record books, and that’s a big reason why WWE—and Triple H—brought Punk back despite his unceremonious 2014 exit from the company. Blake Oestriecher, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023 Late-night shows went dark, the broadcast networks’ fall season fell through, and the Peak TV era came to an unceremonious end. Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 10 Dec. 2023 The fan-favorite wrestling drama that paired Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig as rivalrous bros went peering off a cliff less than two months ago before its unceremonious cancellation. Starz Turns Heels, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2023 In 1976, the death of the longtime CCP leader Mao Zedong ushered in an unceremonious end to his Cultural Revolution, which had wreaked chaos on the Chinese people in service of consolidating Mao’s control of the country. Ryan Hass, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2023 Ten months later, the ripple effects of Cody Bellinger’s unceremonious split from the Dodgers continue to make waves. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unceremonious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unceremonious was in 1598

Dictionary Entries Near unceremonious

Cite this Entry

“Unceremonious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unceremonious. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unceremonious

adjective
un·​cer·​e·​mo·​ni·​ous ˌən-ˌser-ə-ˈmō-nē-əs How to pronounce unceremonious (audio)
: acting without or lacking ordinary courtesy : abrupt
an unceremonious departure
unceremoniously adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on unceremonious

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