undesirable

1 of 2

adjective

un·​de·​sir·​able ˌən-di-ˈzī-rə-bəl How to pronounce undesirable (audio)
: not desirable : unwanted
undesirable side effects
undesirability noun
undesirableness noun
undesirably adverb

undesirable

2 of 2

noun

: one that is undesirable

Examples of undesirable in a Sentence

Adjective The drug has some undesirable side effects. This may have undesirable consequences. Frankly, it's an undesirable and unpleasant job.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The company’s Figure 01 robot is designed to perform dangerous and undesirable jobs in sectors like manufacturing and shipping. Charlie Fink, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Wisconsin’s struggle to staff its prisons is reflective of a crisis building across the country, as the job of prison guard, long seen as a stable position with generous benefits, has become increasingly undesirable. Mario Koran, The New York Times / Wisconsin Watch and Justin Mayo, Big Local News, Journal Sentinel, 3 Feb. 2024 Tuesday's cartoons - undesirable candidates, media layoffs, and more Subscribe The Week Magazine Subscribe for less than $2.50 per week with digital access and free home delivery. The Week Us, theweek, 23 Jan. 2024 The once undesirable hair color’s popularity was recently solidified when Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour began. Shelby Wax, Allure, 29 Feb. 2024 But allowing each of the 50 states to make its own decision seems equally undesirable, inviting a cacophony of conflicting rulings. David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2023 In the spring of 2023, when X was still called Twitter, the company began planning a new system to keep the most undesirable content off of its platform. Bykylie Robison, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2024 The simplest application is to cut out undesirable DNA. Amber Dance, Discover Magazine, 2 Feb. 2024 Freckles have, in fact, been slowly rehabilitated from undesirable blemishes to sweet, aspirational markers of youth since the 1960s. Megan Nolan, Vogue, 31 Jan. 2024
Noun
Syria’s security services have not been waiting for external validation to target dissidents and perceived undesirables. Sam Heller, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2023 Mbappe had been training with PSG's 'undesirables' and watched Saturday's Ligue 1 season opener - a 0-0 draw with Lorient - from the stands with Dembele. Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 13 Aug. 2023 Similarly, disturbing large sections of soil while dispatching undesirables can expose seeds of other foes, so replant immediately with good guys that have a broad footprint to fill the space. Tovah Martin, Washington Post, 9 Aug. 2023 And ultimately, cities walled themselves off, consigning criminals, the poor, and other undesirables to roam a dangerous rural wasteland. Time, 27 July 2023 The term was coined for land next to the road where nothing will grow, except perhaps undesirables such as crabgrass and poison ivy. Tovah Martin, Washington Post, 12 July 2023 Norway constructs a wall to keep out undesirables. John Hopewell, Variety, 17 Mar. 2023 The attention of his fear was undesirables, including Jews. James Brooks, Anchorage Daily News, 16 May 2020 This amazing little machine fights pollutants, mold, dander, and other airborne undesirables with technology that works at the molecular level. Tony Vaz, Popular Science, 9 Mar. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'undesirable.' 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

Adjective

1667, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1883, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of undesirable was in 1667

Dictionary Entries Near undesirable

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

undesirable

adjective
un·​de·​sir·​able
ˌən-di-ˈzī-rə-bəl
: not desirable : unwanted
undesirability
-ˌzī-rə-ˈbil-ət-ē
noun
undesirable noun
undesirableness
-ˈzī-rə-bəl-nəs
noun
undesirably
-blē
adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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