unsavory

adjective

un·​sa·​vory ˌən-ˈsā-və-rē 

-ˈsāv-rē

1

: insipid, tasteless

2

a

: unpleasant to taste or smell

b

: disagreeable, distasteful

an unsavory assignment

especially : morally offensive

unsavory business practices

Synonyms of unsavory

• distasteful
• unappetizing
• unpalatable
• bad
• horrible
• nasty
• awful
• brackish
• filthy
• yucky
• obnoxious

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

According to the conventional wisdom about sanctions, these measures discourage unsavory behavior by raising its economic costs. — S. C. M. Paine, Foreign Affairs, 3 Nov. 2026

On Saturday, at a rally in The Villages in Central Florida, Moody told Republicans that her opponent was getting unsavory campaign help from out-of-state. — Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2026

That recreating the unsavory experiment would make for good television. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 29 Oct. 2026

And Trump has been able to brush off a lot of other unsavory behavior and associations. — Caitlin Dewey, Vox, 28 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for unsavory

• proslavery
• antislavery
• bravery
• knavery
• savory
• slavery

Kids 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