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

None of this indicates that the terms are unfavorable to creators. — Maureen Kerr, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026

The poll showed Rogers himself at 29% favorable and 32% unfavorable. — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 5 Aug. 2026

An April Pew Research Center study found that 80% of Democratic-leaning voters held somewhat or very unfavorable views of Israel. — Shauna Muckle, Miami Herald, 2 Aug. 2026

But using costly missiles against inexpensive drones can create an unfavorable exchange. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 25 July 2026

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