unenthusiastic

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adjective un·en·thu·si·as·tic \ ˌən-in-ˌthü-zē-ˈa-stik , -en- also -ˌthyü- \

Definition of unenthusiastic

:having or showing a lack of excitement or enthusiasm :not enthusiastic

an unenthusiastic response

an unenthusiastic crowd

—

unenthusiastically

play \ˌən-in-ˌthü-zē-ˈa-sti-k(ə-)lē, -en- also -ˌthyü-\ adverb

- a suggestion that was greeted unenthusiastically

See unenthusiastic defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of unenthusiastic from the Web

Final word Last year, players were constantly dejected, unhappy and unenthusiastic.

— laken litman, Indianapolis Star, "Position primer: Notre Dame LBs have all the talent, leadership," 23 Aug. 2017
Even the NBA was initially unenthusiastic at the thought of international play, as detailed in McCallum’s essential account, Dream Team, though the worldwide interest in hoops spawned by American pros on a global stage was inarguable.

— jeremy woo, SI.com, "'Many Shoot, Few Make': Inside the NBA's First Journey to Russia," 25 July 2017
Martin Sorrell, chief executive of ad agency giant WPP, gave unenthusiastic mentions of Snap in TV interviews in recent days.

— paresh dave, latimes.com, "Since its IPO, Snap Inc. did exactly what it said it would, so why is its stock struggling?," 14 July 2017
Japanese firms are also unenthusiastic: Only 4% of large and mid-sized firms plan to use bitcoin in the near to medium term, showed a Reuters poll last month.

— reuters, Fortune, "Mark Karpeles, CEO of Defunct Bitcoin Exchange Mt. Gox, Pleads Not Guilty in a Japanese Court," 11 July 2017
Tasked with cleaning bathrooms, Hudson was unenthusiastic.

— Washington Post, "CEOs recall when teens like them actually worked summer jobs," 23 June 2017
His infamous promotional video, put out just before national signing day in February, depicted a visibly unenthusiastic Kiffin in an empty stadium.

— greg cote, miamiherald, "Lane Kiffin hasn’t coached a game with FAU yet, but he’s already winning your attention," 18 May 2017
Yet the traveler in me can’t help feeling let down by her unenthusiastic response to this miraculous city built hundreds of years ago on tree trunks driven into the clay bottom of a lagoon.

— chris morris, Orange County Register, "Finding the Venetians," 3 Mar. 2017
Mezher and his lieutenants were unenthusiastic about the assignment.

— luke mogelson, The New Yorker, "The Desperate Battle to Destroy ISIS," 6 Feb. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'unenthusiastic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of unenthusiastic

1805

unenthusiastic Synonyms

Synonyms

halfhearted, lukewarm, uneager, tepid

Antonyms

eager, enthusiastic, hearty, keen, passionate, warm, wholehearted

Related Words

apathetic, disinterested, dispassionate, emotionless, impassive, indifferent, neutral, uncaring, uninterested; lackadaisical, languid, listless, perfunctory, undemonstrative, unemotional, unresponsive; unfeeling, unsympathetic; chill, chilly, cold, cool, frigid, frosty, glacial, icy, unfriendly, wintry (also wintery)

Near Antonyms

agog, ardent, avid, exuberant, fervid, feverish, fiery, gung ho, hot-blooded, impassioned, intense, raring, red-hot, vehement; engaged, engrossed, interested; ready, willing; cordial, friendly, genial, warmhearted

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unenthusiastic

Definition of unenthusiastic

unenthusiastically

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unenthusiastic

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unenthusiastically

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