unpleasant

adjective

un·​pleas·​ant ˌən-ˈple-zᵊnt 

: not pleasant : not amiable or agreeable : displeasing

unpleasant odors

unpleasantly adverb

Synonyms of unpleasant

• unpleasing
• harsh
• bad
• nasty
• ugly
• bitter
• sour
• horrible
• disgusting
• awful
• disagreeable
• sickening
• unwelcome
• rotten

Examples of unpleasant in a Sentence

I stopped taking the drug because of its unpleasant side effects.

There was an unpleasant smell coming from the basement.

The weather is so unpleasant here.

I like the shop, but the staff are so unpleasant.

Recent Examples on the Web

What's more, a significant portion of this population – around a third – don't experience adequate symptom relief through antidepressants, or end up discontinuing medication due to unpleasant side-effects. —New Atlas, 4 Jan. 2026

Does your wife discuss this unpleasant person’s posts with you? —Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 4 Jan. 2026

Maybe some people enjoy it, but for us, the weather can turn even the happiest place on earth into an unpleasant inferno. —Priscilla Blossom, Parents, 2 Jan. 2026

The second is a team of barrier-supporting ingredients that form a film over the hands after application, but not an unpleasant one. —Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 31 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unpleasant

• omnipresent
• peasant
• pheasant
• pleasant
• present

Kids Definition

unpleasant

adjective

un·​pleas·​ant ˌən-ˈplez-ᵊnt 

ˈən-

: not pleasant : not friendly or agreeable : displeasing

unpleasantly adverb

unpleasantness noun