: 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
Andrea Chang, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Rinsing rice could help wash away undesirable materials, Sass said, including any leftover debris that could travel from farm to table, such as dirt or small pebbles.
—Sarah Garone, Health, 30 Mar. 2024
Some families encouraged their daughters to volunteer to get them out of an undesirable romantic relationship; others simply hoped the experience would help their children grow up, Cockerham adds.
—Eliza McGraw, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2024
Filing for bankruptcy would mean forgoing more control over his business and may force him to make undesirable sales or other transactions down the road.
—Josh Dawsey, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024
For most anglers, they are considered an undesirable catch.
—Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024
The lyrics dealt with social issues, the poverty of rural farmers and the disappearances of people the government considered undesirable.
—Beverly Bryan, SPIN, 14 Mar. 2024
Not many teams possess the cap space to add his salary to their books, though, and the Hornets likely wouldn’t want to bring on any undesirable contracts that could choke their books long-term.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 8 Feb. 2024
As a hub of daily activity, the kitchen sink often accumulates stubborn grime and residue, which causes discoloration and undesirable odors.
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2024
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
Adjective
At the time, dollar stores were seen as dumping grounds for undesirable products, but the Gold family made the stores bright and well-organized, with good-quality merchandise including groceries and household supplies.
—Andrea Chang, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Rinsing rice could help wash away undesirable materials, Sass said, including any leftover debris that could travel from farm to table, such as dirt or small pebbles.
—Sarah Garone, Health, 30 Mar. 2024
Some families encouraged their daughters to volunteer to get them out of an undesirable romantic relationship; others simply hoped the experience would help their children grow up, Cockerham adds.
—Eliza McGraw, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2024
Filing for bankruptcy would mean forgoing more control over his business and may force him to make undesirable sales or other transactions down the road.
—Josh Dawsey, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024
For most anglers, they are considered an undesirable catch.
—Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024
The lyrics dealt with social issues, the poverty of rural farmers and the disappearances of people the government considered undesirable.
—Beverly Bryan, SPIN, 14 Mar. 2024
Not many teams possess the cap space to add his salary to their books, though, and the Hornets likely wouldn’t want to bring on any undesirable contracts that could choke their books long-term.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 8 Feb. 2024
As a hub of daily activity, the kitchen sink often accumulates stubborn grime and residue, which causes discoloration and undesirable odors.
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 24 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
Dictionary Entries Near undesirable
Cite this Entry
“Undesirable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undesirable. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
undesirable
adjective
un·de·sir·able
ˌən-di-ˈzī-rə-bəl
: not desirable : unwanted
undesirability
noun
-ˌzī-rə-ˈbil-ət-ē
undesirable
noun
undesirableness
noun
-ˈzī-rə-bəl-nəs
undesirably
adverb
-blē
More from Merriam-Webster on undesirable
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for undesirable
Nglish: Translation of undesirable for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of undesirable for Arabic Speakers
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