unfavorable

adjective

un·​fa·​vor·​able ˌən-ˈfā-v(ə-)rə-bəl 

-ˈfā-vər-bəl

1

a

: opposed, contrary

reasons for being unfavorable to the proposal

b

: expressing disapproval : negative

unfavorable reviews

2

: not propitious : disadvantageous

an unfavorable business climate

3

: not pleasing

an unfavorable feature of the plan

unfavorableness noun

unfavorably

ˌən-ˈfā-v(ə-)rə-blē 

-ˈfā-vər-bəl

adverb

Synonyms of unfavorable

• negative
• adverse
• hostile

Examples of unfavorable in a Sentence

She formed an unfavorable impression of him.

the company chose to accept the unfavorable settlement rather than spend more money on legal fees

Recent Examples on the Web

The pressure dialed up by Minnesota, along with costly penalties, put this offense in unfavorable spots throughout the game. —Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025

The company attributed the decline to weak demand, shifting some shipments to Q4 and an unfavorable mix. —Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 3 Nov. 2025

The closure is part of Mannington’s move to exit the residential carpet business due to decline in demand and unfavorable market conditions, according to a LinkedIn post. —Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 30 Oct. 2025

While rumors of an IPO had been circling for years, Covid and then unfavorable market conditions forced them to delay plans. —Michal Lev-Ram, Cnbc Contributor, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing unfavorable

• in an unfavorable light

Rhymes for unfavorable

• favorable

Kids Definition

unfavorable

adjective

un·​fa·​vor·​able ˌən-ˈfāv-(ə-)rə-bəl 

1

: expressing disapproval

unfavorable comments

2

: likely to make difficult or unpleasant

unfavorable weather for a camping trip

unfavorably

-blē 

adverb